The Legend of Zelda: Union of Evil Powers
by Martian Tempest
Summary: One year after the events of Majora's Mask, Link makes a safe return to Hyrule and is reunited with his friends. However, two of the villains which Link has slain have formed an alliance through the power of one and are ready to take their revenge. Can Link and his friends stop them before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1: Ganondorf's Resurrection

**Legend of Zelda – Union of Evil Powers**

_Chapter 1: Ganondorf's Resurrection._

What was thought to be an era of peace in Hyrule after the defeat of Ganondorf, turned out to be a most cherished dream... a lost dream with lost hope... Majora, a malevolent being with wicked powers, usually expressed through the mask bearing its name, was presumably destroyed in its battle against Link, with the young hero saving Termina in the process by preventing the moon from crashing down on Clock Town, the main city in the center of Termina. After Majora's defeat, Link rode his trusted stallion Epona and went back to look for someone dear to him. This search eventually led him back to Hyrule, back into his home forest, the Kokiri Forest. Deciding to take a rest from all the adventures, Link returned Epona back to Lon Lon Ranch, where he lent the horse from, to give her some rest, before he returned back to the Kokiri Forest. His return was greatly appreciated by most of his Kokiri friends, mainly Saria. Even Mido, initially being a bully towards Link before the latter left the Forest in the first place, was happy to see Link back. While he wouldn't admit it openly, Mido did have a level of respect for Link once he learned that he had tried to help the Great Deku Tree by liberating it from its curse, instead of blaming the death of their guardian on him.

Unknown to the group however, an evil wizard by the name of Agahnim has been spying on not just Link, but also on the others whom Link associated with during his first adventures for months to almost a year, gathering his own powers in the process, before he moved off to Termina. Once there, he used what powers he had at his disposal to resurrect Majora, whom had been critically weakened without his mask, even though he had life flowing through him again. Upon learning that Agahnim was the Light World form of Ganondorf, Majora sided with him as both were after the same objective: Gaining revenge on Link and the Seven Sages, slaughtering them and everything they stand for and then ruling the world in an era of Darkness. Because of this, their agreement led to a deadly alliance; in return for letting Majora retake what is rightfully his, Agahnim would have the acquisition of someone who has the ability to curse the entire land by its own means, wanting to make things hard for their nemeses as they possibly could. As Agahnim and Majora collaborated, things then went downhill fast...

"So, Agahnim, I understand that your true form is sealed inside the depths of the Temple of Time, am I right?" Majora asked, as the two beings held up their gathering in the vast forest that separated Hyrule and Termina.  
"Yes. The seven sages have locked him in a place, which they have called the "Chamber of Sages", after Link defeated him months ago. It lies deep within the Temple of Time. If we destroy the temple, we could free my true form." Agahnim said, his appearance mostly hidden through the cloak.  
"Then we shall go there and destroy it at once. Through that, we'll also eliminate the possibility of them doing it again. Prepare our evil forces. We will leave now!" Majora said, using his strange mask, which he recently obtained once more, to help in resurrecting their forces… sending a dark and luminous aura in the direction of Hyrule…

As the forces of Evil are underway, Link, the fabled Hero of Time, was sleeping in his bed inside his house in the Kokiri Forest. As it was the case with Agahnim as well as the Seven Sages, he retained the knowledge of his time travel to the future, where he and the Sages managed to defeat the monstrous Ganon, the beast form of the King of Evil, Ganondorf himself, after the latter had used the Triforce of Power to engage the holders of the two other Triforce pieces, Link and Zelda. Thanks to his courage, Link prevailed and used the Evil-banishing blade known as the Master Sword to weaken Ganondorf enough for Zelda and the Six Sages to seal Ganondorf into the Evil Realm. After returning back to his original time, Link went to see Zelda and, after they and Impa told the King of Hyrule of Ganondorf's treachery, Ganondorf himself was arrested and sealed away as well, wanting to deprive him of any opportunity to usurp the King of Hyrule and seize the Triforce for himself. After that, Zelda gave Link the sacred Ocarina of Time after the latter announced he would go on a trip to find his fairy comrade Navi, whom parted from him after he returned the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time, where he would eventually end up in Termina, up to facing Majora, who threatened to destroy Termina and all of its residents by crashing the moon on top of Clock Town. Thankfully, after another adventure, Link managed to stop him, after which he went off to search for his friend again, deciding to return home to see his other friends, wanting to stay until he would go off on an adventure once more.

As for the other Sages, they took matters in their own hands as well. Nabooru, the exalted leader of the Gerudo Tribe, went to Hyrule Castle to renegotiate an alliance between the Gerudo tribe and the King of Hyrule. Since Zelda and Impa both were more trusting of Nabooru, thanks to their memories, Nabooru's efforts were far more successful than Ganondorf's. Upon speaking privately, Nabooru expressed her genuine respect for them as well as Link, feeling happy that they all had fought side by side. Ruto behaved like her old self pretty much, although she was found on an occasional night on the outside, near Lord Jabu-Jabu's stead in the Zora Fountain, keeping a silent watch over their deity as well as trying to keep in touch with the other Sages. Darunia was also back to his old self, although he did take some precautions to prevent other evil beings from taking what is rightfully theirs. The entrance to the mines in the Dodongo's Cavern, which was the main source of the Goron's food supply, was now permanently guarded, although the Gorons did switch places on occasion so the guards could go home and see their families. Rauru was back in the Temple of Time, safeguarding the Master Sword and the entrance to the Chamber of the Sages.

Link was currently vast asleep in his tree house, glad to be back home. In the days after his return, Saria had visited his house frequently, mainly to share memories as well as telling Saria the adventures he had to endure during his time in Termina. Saria was impressed that Link was able to remain firm, regardless of the curses around the area and some even being placed on Link himself. Then, a sudden feeling of uneasiness woke him from his sleep. Looking around, he saw that it was still night in the forest, but the uneasiness made his body shudder. As he got out of bed and out of his house after he got dressed again, thinking that a bit of fresh air would do him good, he was surprised to see Saria, his childhood friend and the Sage of the Forest, out of her house. He noticed that she too felt quite nervous; she seemed to be looking around for a bit while lightly shivering. Link went to her, climbing down from the ladder of his tree house and running to her. Saria heard him approaching and turned to face him, smiling at seeing Link.  
" Can't sleep either?" Link asked, seeing the tranquility of the Kokiri Forest around them.  
"No... I have this feeling of dread... it's sending shivers down my spine… something malicious is going to happen, I can feel it!" Saria replied.  
"So do I. I haven't felt like this in a year or so!"  
"Should we locate the other Sages and find out what's going on?" Saria suggested.  
"We should; I'll grab my stuff."  
" Wise choice; I doubt your sword alone is enough."

Packing their emergency stuff, Link and Saria rushed into the Lost Woods and into Goron City in the hopes of finding Darunia, King of the Gorons, Link's 'Sworn Brother' and the Sage of Fire. Link was armed with his Gilded Sword, an item he brought back from his travels in Termina and a Hero Shield, a child's version of the common Hylian Shield for the soldiers, while Saria had kept Link's slingshot as well as a dagger of her own. Having recognized her duty as a Sage, Saria would see to it that she would also help Link to defend the forest and Hyrule. It did puzzle the other Kokiri why Saria had taken up some sword training of her own, often leading to sparring sessions with Link during the time he stayed in the forest. After crossing the Lost Woods area, the two forest children entered the passageway leading into Goron City. They carefully passed by the Gorons as to not disturb them in their sleep, going all the way down towards Darunia's throne room. Interestingly, the door to the throne room was already open… as if Darunia was expecting them.

"Link, Saria! You have come!" Darunia said, as he saw the two entering his room, stopping to take a breath.  
"Yes; we have been unable to sleep last night and we suspect that something bad is about to happen." Link said.  
"We should meet up with the other Sages at the Temple of Time; perhaps we can find out what is going on there." Saria said.  
"I couldn't sleep, too. I've also felt the same thing. Very well, let's go." Darunia said, cracking his knuckles as he was more than ready to deal out a decent beating out to any enemy in his way.

The three Sages then went out of Goron City and down the Death Mountain Trail, passing by the sleeping villagers in Kakariko Village and into Hyrule Field. Right after stepping down the steps leading to the village, they met up with Ruto, the Zora Princess and the Sage of Water and Nabooru, the newly installed leader of the Gerudo Tribe and the Sage of Spirit. Noting that they too were on their way to Hyrule Castle, the three joined up with them and moved over the bridge into Hyrule Castle Town and up the steps towards the Temple of Time, where Zelda, the Hyrule Princess and Seventh Sage and Impa, Zelda's Guardian/attendant and the Sage of Shadow were waiting for them. The Seven then entered the Temple to meet up with Rauru, the Sage of Light.  
"Something dark and malicious is headed this way, I can feel it!" Link said, shuddering.  
"So can I, Link, it's horrible!" Saria said.  
"I hope Rauru can help us with this." Ruto said.  
"Rauru! What is going on in this temple? How did this dark presence get here?" Darunia asked.  
"It seems that the forces of Evil have awoken once more to end the peace we have been fighting for. An individual named Majora has joined forces with a wizard named Agahnim in Termina and have created an Army of Darkness which is currently on their way here as we speak!" Rauru said.  
"Majora?! How in the name of the three Goddesses of Hyrule is this possible?! I obliterated that monster months ago to prevent the moon from destroying Termina!" Link exclaimed.  
"We know, Link; we've been monitoring your actions and there too you are celebrated as a hero. But the evil forces must have been reawakened somehow." Zelda said.  
"We need to stop them before they destroy everything!" Saria said.  
"I say we gather enough forces to aid us and wipe them off the face of this world." Nabooru said.  
"But to do so, we need to find out how big that army is." Link said, feeling the need to gather intelligence.  
"I agree." Saria said, agreeing with Link.  
"Alright. Link, you and Saria will go and try to get as close to the army as you can without being seen. The others will warn everyone else and gather any abled body to help us in this horrendous event." Zelda said, nodding  
"We're on our way; I know just the right horse to call." Link said.  
Link and Saria then left the Temple for the moment, while the other Sages went to warn the rest.  
"Darunia, I need you to prepare the Gorons for this. Perhaps you can bombard the enemy using your 'Special Crop' to hinder the advance of the enemy as much as you can." Zelda said.  
"Alright. You can count on me." Darunia said.  
"I'll warn my father about this. Ruto, you go and warn the Zora's. Impa, you and Rauru will have to stay here and wait for Link and Saria to get back. We must protect the treasures that allows access to the Master Sword. Nabooru, we need the Gerudo for this, since you are their leader now." Zelda said.  
"Understood. We Gerudo never liked Ganondorf anyway; we'd rather had someone like Link as our ruler." Nabooru said, while Ruto got ready to have the Zora helping the group…

Meanwhile, Link and Saria have lent Epona from Lon Lon Ranch to cross Hyrule Field faster, feeling that the main gathering of the enemy had taken place in an open field of the forest leading to Termina. Halting Epona at some distance, both Link and Saria approached the open field to a safe distance. But what they saw shocked them. An uncountable amount of creatures were standing around a makeshift pedestal, on which Majora was dancing around. Majora was wearing its mask, giving it the powers it needed to resurrect the Army of Darkness! Lisalfos with their forked tongues flicking in and out of their mouths. Iron Knuckles with their enormous battle-axes over their shoulders. Dodongos all covered in armor with their huge teeth sticking out. Poes lined up with a lantern in one hand, a spear in the other, Re-Deads and Gibdos all ready to rip apart man-flesh. Wizrobes with their wands ready to burn any opponents to crisp. Stalfos with their huge red bent swords in their palms. Moblins with their long clubs across their hip. The Floormasters, ready to drain any passerby of their magic power. The Corrupted Soldiers, ready to attack anyone that stands in their way. And last, the Flare Dancers, ready to immolate anyone in their path with their fiery dance. Link and Saria felt that they hadn't caught attention yet, so it was a good time to turn tail and head back to the Temple of Time right away. Fortunately, Epona was energetic today and carried Link and Saria on its back all the way back to Hyrule Castle. Once there, both Link and Saria dismounted, after Link went face to face with the horse.  
"Epona, you're a fine horse and I wouldn't be able to cope if I would lose you. Please for our, yours and Malon's sake, find a place to hide and stay out of the reach of the enemy, even if it means for you to hide within Gerudo's fortress, but please, hide!" Link pleaded to the horse.  
As if understanding him, Epona neighed once, butting his head against Link and Saria as a gesture of thanks, before running off, while Link and Saria rushed back to the Temple of Time, where Darunia was waiting for them, having warned the Gorons beforehand.  
"You're back. Good. I wanted to tell you that I warned my kind of this threat we are facing. Have you found out about the amount of evil forces?" He asked, just as the other Sages came to meet the two.  
"We have seen it and it's not good at all." Link said.  
"It's like Hell has come for us with his friends!" Saria added.  
"What?!" Zelda asked, being terribly shocked.  
"We've seen almost everything: Lisalfos, Dodongos, Stalfos, ReDeads, Gibdos, Flare Dancers, Wizrobes, ANYTHING you can think of is there!" Link said.  
"Then they must be up to something big! May Nayru's Love protect us..." Zelda said, clasping her hands together in a prayer.  
"Something is telling me that we are now in trouble, with all these monsters you have mentioned. We must be ready, if they are going to attack." Darunia said.  
"I only hope we can stall them long enough to evacuate as many civilians as we can. And even if the enemy may overrun us, we should be able to at least cripple them number-wise, I hope." Link said.  
"We all hope that, Link, it's just-"  
Saria couldn't finish her sentence as a sudden rumble shook the Temple!  
"What's that?!" Ruto asked.  
Link and the others rushed out of the Temple, only in time to see Death Mountain erupting!  
"GOOD GRIEF!" Link exclaimed.  
"Dear goddesses!" Saria gasped out, hands in front of her mouth.  
"We're out of time; we must strike now!" Zelda said, getting serious.  
"We'll make sure that if the enemy is victorious today, that their victory will taste as bitter as defeat." Link said, drawing his sword.  
The Sages nodded, getting ready themselves.

Soon enough, Link and the Seven Sages got in position to aid the massive army of Hyrule to combat the Army of Darkness... Zelda's father was wise enough to heed to his daughter's plea and got his army ready. Terminans were also standing by to aid the Hyrulean army and other, neighboring kingdoms also decided to come to Hyrule's aid. Soon enough, the Army of Darkness was in sight.  
"Here they come!" Darunia announced.  
"Perhaps today is a good day to die. Let's show them." Link said.  
Link and Zelda prepare their respective bows to fire Light Arrows from, while Saria, Rauru and Ruto have a special beam attack from their hands to smite numerous enemies with. Impa had an infinite supply of Deku Nuts to stun the enemies, while next to Darunia were numerous of powerful rocks to crush any villain and Bomb Flowers to blow others to smithereens.

It was then that the battle started, with the brave soldiers of Hyrule fighting for their lives against an army of Flare Dancers, Iron Knuckles, Moblins, Lisalfos, Stalfos, Gibdos, Wizrobes, Poes, and Dodongos. And hovering above them all were the leaders: Majora, and Agahnim! All with smiles on their faces and a hating desire to see Link, the Sages and Hyrule destroyed! The two armies collided, shields blown into splinters, and swords slicing up the opponents. Screams of agony could be heard from miles around, along with the screams of the of the Re-deads and the Gibdos. Men being eaten alive, blown to shreds, and burned to crisp slowly; Link and the Sages couldn't stand it. Thankfully, the army managed to stall the advance... One of Link's Light Arrows scored a direct hit on an Iron Knuckle, stunning it long enough for Darunia to blast it with his own Sage attack, which was a powerful beam fired from the hands, fired in a similar fashion at what Zelda used to stun Ganon with, allowing Link to cripple the beast, which in turned allowed Zelda and the other Sages to seal the Evil King away in the Evil Realm. One of Saria's Deku Seeds nailed a Lisalfos squarely in the eye, making it howl as it was blinded, before one of Hyrule's soldiers decapitated it, before being struck from behind by a Stalfos. The Goron's Bombs were very effective in dealing with the Flare Dancers and most of the enemies susceptible to explosives; the Dodongos were also being a help in that as they were the most vulnerable; the explosions emitted from a Dodongo's defeated corpse dealt significant splash damage to nearby enemies, even though the enemy army was more relentless and far more numerous. For some time, it seemed the respective armies seemed to have reached a stalemate, but then one of the enemy projectiles, fired by a Wizrobe, soared over the group... striking the top of the Temple of Time!  
"The Temple of Time is under attack!" Link exclaimed.  
"We can't let the treasures nor the Master Sword fall into enemy hands! We have to protect them at all costs! Darunia, make sure the area to the Temple is mined using the Bomb Flowers and rocks while you're coming with us; the army has to pay for every square inch they advance here!" Zelda shouted, her voice audible enough throughout the violence.  
"I'll do it! They won't get their hands on the treasures and the Master Sword!" Darunia said, doing what was asked by calling some of the Gorons to him with the task to mine the path to the Temple of Time.

As Link and the others made a mad dash for the Temple of Time, they realized with horror that the Army of Darkness was specifically attacking the Temple of time, as it appeared that the recent attacks were focusing on the ancient building, noted by the several dents and holes made in the Temple's exterior. Narrowly avoiding some rubble, the group arrived at the Temple and rushed in, only for a part of the ceiling to come down! Zelda casted Nayru's Love to shield the group from the falling rubble!  
"Are they THAT desperate to kill us?!" Saria asked, horrified.  
"Maybe, but I think... oh no!" Link then exclaimed.  
"Are you thinking what I am thinking?!" Zelda asked.  
"You bet; if this Temple is destroyed, Ganondorf will be free to plague the land of Hyrule once more! And from the sounds of it, it looks like they will succeed." Link said.  
"Not if we collect the things here to combat them." Rauru said, as he went inside the chamber with the Master Sword, followed by Darunia and Impa. Just then, another loud crash shook the Temple, making rubble crash down in front of the Door of Time, separating Impa, Rauru and Darunia from the other five.  
"IMPA! RAURU, DARUNIA!" Zelda shouted as Link bravely tried to remove some of the rubble, but it was too heavy for him to lift at the time, right before Nabooru pulled the young hero out of harm's way as another bit of rubble came down.  
"Don't worry about us, just grab the treasures and get out of here! We'll protect the Master Sword with the best of our abilities! Nabooru, watch over the children, please!" Impa pleaded.  
"I will. We'll come back for you, we swear!" Nabooru said, nodding.  
Being forced to flee, the group grabbed the treasures. Link held Goron's Ruby, Ruto took Zora's Sapphire, Saria held Kokiri's Emerald and Zelda tucked away the Royal Family's treasure, the Ocarina Of Time, away. The five rushed back into the battle field, avoiding the mines (Thanks to Link donning the Lens of Truth) and rushing into Hyrule Field, which was littered with enormous pools of blood and piles of severed, burned and mutilated bodies of both armies, although the Army of Darkness was winning! Spotting a secret grotto which was opened through one of the explosions from one of Goron's bombs, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru rushed to it, just before a big explosion rocked the area. As the five looked in the direction of the source of the explosion, they gasped at the sight of a ruined and burning building. The Temple of Time had been destroyed! Stepping back, Link slipped and fell in the secret hole, soon joined by Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru. Majora and Agahnim saw this.  
"Well, well, looks like five of them went into hiding..." Majora said, nodding as he oversaw the scene.  
"No matter. I am already preparing a surprise for them, should they come after the Master Sword and their friends." Agahnim said.  
"Good. I'll give you the time you need while I send the five on a lovely trip, ghehehehehe... " Majora said, after which he begins to shake the head, the mask vibrating the cursed energy from it, directed to the grotto…

Inside the grotto, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru sat down together, catching their breath from all the running.  
"Well, at least they won't be able to get the Master Sword now, but our friends..." Link said, expressing his concern over the others who are trapped inside the ruins of the Temple of Time.  
"I'm sure Darunia has found a way to keep them out of harm's way..." Zelda said.  
"But we can't get out yet... the enemy may be looking for us..." Saria said.  
"This is madness..." Ruto said, looking said, prompting Link and Saria to try to comfort her.  
"Hey, did I hear the wall just growl?!" Nabooru asked, staring at the wall behind the chest present.  
As the five looked in the direction of the wall at the far side of the exit, right where they were, they noticed it began to wobble a bit, as if someone was making a portal there.  
"I don't like the feel of this..."Nabooru said.  
"It must be some kind of magic that's causing this." Zelda said.  
Just then as Link wanted to grab his sword, a part of the wall suddenly sprang forward as if stretching out... forming itself into the appearance of the Like-Like creature. The eyes of the group standing in front of it widened in horror. This was the only momentum it needed, as the creature suddenly sprung forward, with its black maw at the top forward, engulfing Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru in one go. Their muffled screams inside fell to deaf men's ears as the creature lifted up and swallowed the five in a big *GULP*, sending them through a portal in the process right before it retracted itself, the wall returning then to normal as if nothing happened. Clearly the magic of Majora was twisted enough to make it possible…

A set of five screams were heard in a vast area of black space as Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru fell down into what appeared to be a vast abyss of black space. Then the five felt as if they were crashing through something, before being suddenly halted in the fall. But as they crashed through something, the force was enough to knock them out, leaving them unconscious in the process. They also dropped most of their items on the ground because of the sudden crash and the halting, but nothing broke. Aside from that, they were alone in the room, which was lit by only two torches…

Meanwhile, back in Hyrule, the Seal of the Six Sages broke, which caused Agahnim to transform in his normal state: The Evil King of Darkness: Ganondorf.  
"Finally, Hyrule shall be ours... and after Hyrule comes the World..." Ganondorf said, laughing maniacally as he would be able to get rid of Link and the Sages very soon.


	2. Chapter 2: Ikana's Hero and Sages

_Chapter 2: Ikana's Hero and Sages_

Deep inside an unknown cavern area, of which nobody knows... the area itself is dark and moist... most of the rooms are littered with different kinds of spider webs and Skulltulas and Skullwalltulas are present over the area, waiting for a potential victim to pounce onto... One of the rooms however is empty and seemingly void of any arachnid presence, save for the giant orb web hanging diagonally across the for the rest empty room which is only partially visible from the light which two lit torches at the door leading out of the room give off. Several items are scattered over the floor, including two bows, a few swords and shields, a dual scimitar sword, some arrows, a bluish Ocarina and three gemstones... the Sacred Stones needed to open the sacred Door of Time... the Kokiri's Emerald... the Goron's Ruby and the Zora's Sapphire... fortunately in one piece... moving to the orb web, five figures are seen suspended in the web itself... the silhouettes of four children and an adult woman... each of them out cold, but stirring as they are about to wake up! Link groaned as he woke up from a long time of unconsciousness, Saria let out a moan.  
"Who saw that horse that threw me off?!" She asked.  
Zelda grunted and shook her head a bit.  
"My head…" Link said.  
"Link, are you alright?" Saria asked.  
"Aside from feeling to have the Megaton Hammer smashed on my skull, I'm okay." Link said.  
"What's this?! I can't move a muscle!" Zelda exclaimed.  
" Neither can I... and there's an annoying sticky itch around my skin!" Nabooru said.  
" Same here!" Ruto said.  
"Hold it..." Link said, before he scanned the area, trying to figure out things by means of the torches.  
" What is it?" Saria asked.  
" Just our luck, we've fallen into a giant spider's web. I've seen more than enough of these in my travels in and Hyrule and Termina both." Link said with a groan.  
"A giant spider's web?!" Saria asked.  
"Where are we? Last time I checked we hid inside one of those secret holes near the castle..." Zelda said.  
"That's correct, but that frigging Like-Like swallowed all of us up like we were a nice treat. I'm surprised we managed to retain most of our equipment here." Link said.  
"I believe some kind of magic made that creature appear." Zelda said.  
"It obviously has to be Majora..." Link muttered.  
"We should get out of here and find out where exactly we are, before we can think of finding a way back." Nabooru said.  
"Great idea, we should find a way to get out of this web first; otherwise, whoever has made this, will make a five-course meal out of us." Ruto said.

Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru struggle a bit, pulling themselves forward to get out of the web. They succeed, but fall on the ground with a *THUD*, although neither of them is injured. After getting up and dusting themselves off, they moved closer to the light from the torches to see their equipment better.  
"Alright. We should first settle up our equipment first, before we go. I'm sure that we'll have to face Skulltulas around here." Link said as he grabbed and equipped his Hero Sword, Hero Shield and Hero Bow with 10 Arrows.  
Saria took her Fairy Slingshot and a few Deku Nuts, while Zelda grabbed her own Bow and Arrows. Ruto didn't have weapons, but she, like the other sages, could use magic as an offensive weapon, while Nabooru grabbed her Dual Sword, twirling them around to get the feel of them again. Link, Saria and Zelda also grabbed their respective Ocarinas, with Zelda possessing the Ocarina of Time, while Link, Saria and Ruto also secure the Spiritual Stones of Fire, Forest and Water respectively.  
"Link, do you have any magic attacks?" Zelda asked.  
"Of course I remember the Spin Attack, using the bluish glow on my sword for an area of effect spin attack." Link said, smiling.  
"Good." Zelda said.  
"Alright, let's get out of here." Link said as he opens the door and he and his four friends go through, before it closes behind them…

The group looks around once outside the room containing the web they fell in. They can see several breakable boxes around, along with numerous spider webs on the walls and the ceiling. Several Skulltulas and Skullwalltulas, the latter recognizable with the ominous scraping sounds, are present, but have not detected the heroes' presence yet. A big chest stands in the path to the right, while a small chest stands to the left, flanked by a few grass polls which could be sliced with the sword.  
"The atmosphere feels warm and moist here." Zelda said.  
"I agree. I feel like we're quite a long way from home." Nabooru said.  
" I am pretty sure this is Majora's doing. Only he would be sadistic enough, to send us into a place like this." Link said, being serious.  
"And it's all because of that strange mask he wears?" Saria asked, to which Link nodded.  
"And there's a lot more where that came from; he could practically place a curse on ANYONE he sees fit." Link said, recalling his own experience from encounters with the eponymous mask during his travels in Termina.  
"I've heard about Majora and it's giving me the creeps ever since, now we know what he is capable of… and now that he could be working together with Ganondorf…" Zelda said, shivering.  
"We should get going," Nabooru said, "the sooner we're out of this place, the better. After all, there's no use in hanging around this dank place unless we need shelter."  
"True that. Besides, we should try to find the others first…" Ruto said, while Link went to the chest to open it up…  
"Hm, this is weird; someone actually left a map of this place here." Link said, grabbing the paper out of the chest.  
"You found a map?" Saria asked, walking to him with the others in tow.  
" Yes. Perhaps this should give us an insight on where we are in this place and see if we can find a way out, or in any case where we have to go." Link said.  
"At least it's something. There's a torch at this corner, Link. We should study the map there." Zelda said.  
"Thank you, Zelda." Link said with a smile, moving to the torch and lies down to study the map under the light from it, with Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru joining him.  
"Alright, so where are we?" Saria asked.  
"I can't pinpoint the exact location of where we exactly are, considering we fell in perhaps a random room. I do see that there's a total of three floors in this area, with each floor having a total of four rooms or so." Link said.  
"At least it tells us which rooms there are, so we may be able to expect what they look like regarding size, but not what they contain." Nabooru said.  
"True. Why does Majora has to be so sadistic..." Ruto said, shivering a bit.  
"He's like a big baby when I first fought him; it all seemed like a game to him. I'm sure that this will be his game of vengeance." Link said.  
"And add Ganondorf's cruelty to that… they obviously want to have us as far away from them for now so they can prepare their fort…" Zelda added.  
"You think this is only stage one of their plan?" Saria asked.  
"More than that; I believe that this is only the beginning…" Zelda said, as the group got up to continue exploring the area.

As the group moved on to explore the area, moving down what appeared to be a wooden bridge moving downwards like a smooth stairway, they entered the second room up ahead, which contained some high grasses and a Big Skulltula in the center of the room, the Skulltula hanging from its web on the ceiling. Link stuns the Skulltula with a Deku Nut, allowing Nabooru to circle behind it and kill it with her Dual Swords.  
"All too easy." Nabooru said with a smirk, happy to be able to kick ass after the initial debacle involving Ganondorf, at which she was brainwashed by the witches Koume and Kotake…  
Ruto looked further ahead, seeing a door up ahead.  
"I wonder who could have used this place as a hideout, considering the door up ahead." She said.  
"Probably bandits, travelers, smugglers or thieves…" Link mused as Saria walked to a chest to open it.  
"You're right, Link; I've found a few weapons and ammunition in this chest." She said as she got out a few short swords and some arrows and slingshot bullets, as well as Deku Nuts.  
"Hm. A few swords appear corroded, perhaps this place was abandoned for some time." Nabooru said, moving in to check it as well.  
"Take the ones with the least corrosion on it. Perhaps we can salvage it for better equipment later." Zelda said, at which Nabooru nodded.  
Once everyone was equipped with additional weapons and ammo where needed, they proceeded to the next room…

" It's awfully dark in here…" Zelda said as they entered the room, which held no torches whatsoever.  
As the group walks on, they discover that the room itself is empty, with only the ambient sounds of the occasional water drop and the breathing of the five being the sounds whatsoever.  
"What gives?!" Ruto said, scratching her head.  
"It's not a dead end, is it?" Saria asked, blinking as the group wandered into the center of the room.  
Just as Link wanted to answer, the group felt the floor cracking underneath their feet, causing them to stagger as parts of the floor broke up a bit. A few seconds later, before the group could even react, the center part of the floor collapsed, sending the entire group falling to the ground, landing on another giant spider's web which fortunately broke their fall, although a second cobweb at the bottom halts their progress.  
"Whew. There are times that I am glad that there are webs around." Nabooru said, sighing of relief.  
"Don't get used to it, though." Ruto said, removing some silk from her fins.  
"At least we can continue…" Saria said as Link entered the room, spotting a Deku Scrub hiding in the center of the room, with a few Withered Deku Babas surrounding it.  
Zelda frowned.  
"Deku actually live here? Or is it one of the last occupants here?" She asked.  
"I have no idea. Perhaps it may know some more…" Link said.  
The group swiftly takes out the Deku Babas, each gaining a Deku Stick in the process, while Link also sends the attack of the Deku Scrub back at him by using his Shield. Immediately the Scrub tries to escape after being hit, but Zelda confronts it.  
"Please, miss! I'll never do it again! If I give you some advice, will you let me go?" The Deku Scrub pleaded.  
"Alright, spill it." Zelda said.  
"I overheard this: While most enemies can be beaten easily in a group, some of the more tougher ones require more power and may need to be faced with a fighter of the same caliber. That's all I can tell you." It said, before it left.  
"I wonder what he means by that…" Link said.  
"Same here… and he hasn't told us where we are…" Ruto said, crossing her arms.  
"Looks like we'll have to find that out by ourselves then." Nabooru said as the group continued on to the next room.

The next room had a few torches lighting up the area, as well as several big puddles of water. Right away, Link got some water between his hands to take a sip of it.  
"Hm, the water's fresh here." He said, taking another sip to lessen his thirst. The others took a drink as well, while Link went to a different puddle to throw some water in his face to refresh himself.  
"Maybe not as efficient when taking a bath or standing under a soft waterfall, but it'll have to do." He said, smiling.  
Saria and Zelda both giggled as they too refreshed themselves, while Ruto took another sip and Nabooru herself looked around the room.  
"There's a few more Skulltulas around, but they're not that much of importance so far." She noted.  
"Leave them be then. We could use the Deku Stick here to burn the web we saw earlier." Link said, opting to conserve ammunition.  
"Right." Ruto said, taking the Deku stick and lit it up against one of the torches, moving it with it rapidly towards the web before the stick would burn out.

After burning the web, Ruto extinguished the stick to conserve it.  
"I can hardly see a thing down there!" She said after peeking down the hole.  
"Do you think it contains anything?" Nabooru asked.  
"Only one way to find out..." Link said, before he jumps down the hole, "WHOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAA!"  
"YYAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Saria yelled as she jumped down the hole as well, shortly followed by Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru.  
The five land inside a small pond of water, being similar to the pond inside the Big Deku Tree, before facing Gohma. Ahead were two more Skulltulas, blocking the exit, only for the Skulltulas to be taken down by Saria and Zelda.  
"Is it me, or is it getting warmer here?" Ruto asked.  
"It is warmer here… and I can think of only two places with such heat around…" Link said, gulping a bit as he got out of the water to exit the cavern, being nervous…

As they went outside, they arrived at a barren canyon, mostly void of vegetation and hardly has any shade from the Sun.  
"What is this place? This isn't like Death Mountain at all!" Zelda exclaimed.  
"No, it isn't. But I know this place..." Link said, feeling his suspicions having come true.  
"What is it?" Saria asked.  
"We're in Ikana Canyon, one of the most inhospitable areas in Termina. And from what I can see, we're actually on a ledge close to where I entered the Stone Temple when I had to deal with Majora for the first time." Link said.  
"And now Majora has sent us here?!" Nabooru asked, blinking as Zelda looked around in horror, having heard of the dark and bloody history of the Ikana Kingdom.  
"Yes. He obviously wants to make it very hard for us to get all the way back to Hyrule. I'm sure that he is looking forward to see a ReDead feasting on our corpses." Link said, pointing to a ledge where two ReDeads were standing like statues.  
The four Sages gulped at that; just like Link, they knew all too well what a ReDead was capable of. Thankfully, their previous encounters were made out alive, with only the ReDead being... re-dead.  
"There is no way I will let it come that far, but I need your help in order to make it through." Link said.  
"We know, Link. We need you as much as you need us. Co-operation is the only way to survive through all this." Zelda said, nodding as she put a hand on Link's shoulder, understanding his feelings of upcoming trouble.  
"Otherwise, everything will be lost." Saria said, shivering a bit.  
"Alright, where do we go from here?" Nabooru asked.  
"I'm sure we need to traverse the Stone Temple to get some specific items we need. But the last time I went in there, I had situations where things were LITERALLY upside down. I'll tell you all about it once we're in a more hospitable area." Link said.  
Zelda saw the reason in this.  
"So, where do we have to go?" Ruto asked.  
"The only place I can think of is to get out of Ikana Canyon and head into Clock Town. We could rent a room at the inn I've stayed in before and from there we could rest up a bit and plan our actions further on." Link said.  
The girls nodded, ready to follow, when suddenly the platform they stood on began to shake and rumble.  
"Huh?! What's going on?!" Saria asked.  
Just then, the entire platform crumbles, sending the five heroes down to the ground falling, landing on the path leading to the entrance of the Stone Tower roughly.  
"Ouch… my... legs..." Link said, whimpering a bit at the pain as his knees were opened up from the landing, bleeding.  
"Curse you... Majora..." Zelda said, holding her right arm.  
Nabooru's landing was somewhat the most 'gentle'; having landed on her hands and knees effectively provided her with the least amount of injury, although she was bleeding like the four children as they tried to get up. She helped the children up, showing that they hadn't broken anything yet, although Link and Saria were limping a bit, Link even more than Saria. Saria and Zelda decided to support Link, which in turn eased Saria's limping as well as the group traveled down the path towards Ikana River.

The trip through Ikana Canyon wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Although the group used the Ikana River to clean their injuries, there was still the horrid conditions that Ikana was having, primarily the lack of vegetation and the high temperatures.  
"I can see why people avoid this place like the plague; it's practically unbearable out here! Not even the Gerudo Desert and the Haunted Wastelands are this bad!" Nabooru said.  
"Is there any place we can find shelter for the time being?!" Ruto asked, wiping sweat from her forehead.  
"The only place… I can think of is the Ikana Castle to our left. It should be abandoned for the most part now…" Link said.  
"We should make a virtue of necessity and move in the castle. Otherwise we'll end up having a stroke." Zelda said, nodding as the five changed course, entering the castle through the alternate entrance that Link had made before.

Upon entering the castle, the five noted that it was indeed empty, allowing them to proceed to the empty throne room with ease… or what they believe was an empty throne room...  
"Whew, at least we have some shelter from the sun for now…" Saria said, sighing as she sat down on the stairway leading to the empty throne with the others.  
"I agree, Saria." Link said, while Zelda went to nurse Link's legs.  
"Well, what do I owe this visit?" A crackling voice then was heard from behind the group, startling them.  
As they turned around, the five saw a floating and talking Skull. Saria, Zelda, Nabooru and Ruto are frightened and stand close to Link, while Link blinked as he noticed the skull.  
"Who are you? You're familiar somehow…" Link said.  
"Do not be afraid as I will not bring you harm. Allow me to introduce myself, although the young man is more familiar to me... I am Igos du Ikana, formerly King of the Ikana Kingdom." The skull said.  
"You know Link?" Zelda asked, blinking.  
"Oh, yes; the brave little man has brought light to my fallen kingdom. We perished during a great war that our kingdom was involved in against the Garo Tribe. We would have been laid to rest earlier, had it not been for the person who opened the doors of the Stone Tower. I'm still amazed that this brave little man was able to lift the curse from us and sealed the doors of the Stone Tower. But it seems that disaster is about to strike again." Igos du Ikana said.  
"Can you tell us more about what's going on?" Link asked.  
"We have felt an ominous presence deep within the lands of the Kingdom of Hyrule. I do not have an idea of what has caused it, but it appears to affect the areas here again, as if another wind of darkness is about to blow." Igos replied.  
"From what we can feel, it appears that Majora, the one responsible for opening the Stone Tower, has allied himself with Ganondorf, the King of Evil, freeing him from the seal we placed on him to keep him away from our lands." Zelda said.  
"Hmmm, that explains why we could feel that wave of darkness all the way from here, but so far Hyrule has been the worst affected area. However, I must question your presence here…"  
"Majora has transported into this area using his magic. I assume he has regained possession of the eponymous mask that grants him such powers, complete with being able to place curses on anyone seen fit." Link said.  
"We're in fact moving towards Clock Town, but decided to hide here for now because of the heat out here." Saria said.  
"I understand. This forsaken land indeed remains plagued by its harsh conditions. You should rest up and move at dusk, it should be a lot cooler then." Igos said.  
"Thank you." Zelda said, smiling.  
"Just be careful on your way out though, there may be still some fiends around that will try to attack you." Igos said, before he vanished.

A few hours passed after the five entered the castle, using the time to nurse each other's wounds and rest up from the hectic event. As dusk approached, the group went to head out again, indeed finding the temperature much more comfortable.  
"Hopefully we should be able to reach Termina Field by late in the evening." Link said as the group walked out of the castle.  
"I hope we still have time to get ourselves a room from that inn, though." Saria said.  
"Same here. Otherwise we'll need to locate a grotto or something where we can safely spend the night in." Link said.  
"As long as we're out of the reach of the enemies, I'm fine with it." Ruto said as the group approached the edge of the cliff that separated Ikana Canyon from its valley, the river moving down at the base. Leaping in the water and reaching the ladder on the other side, the group climbed their way up before moving into Ikana Valley.


	3. Chapter 3: A rainy start

_Chapter 3: A rainy start_

Hyrule Field has become even worse ever since Majora and Ganondorf teamed up together. Some dub it even 'Field of Hyruined', due to the state it is in. The main sight of enemies along the field are the Poes, the ghostly undead who are poised to torment any survivor with their lanterns. The Castle itself is almost nigh-impassable; nearly every corner of Hyrule Castle Town had a ReDead nearby, ready to rip off the flesh of the living to feed on. The only path free from those fiends was the path leading to the ruined Temple of Time. A dark, malevolent sky is the main look over the entire area, the dark clouds bellowing slowly over the area, and an occasional lightning strike making the trip hazardous. A lone person came out of the ranch in the center and into the field, gazing sadly upon the blackened walls of the ruined castle wall. She too had heard of what has transpired and has sent Epona and a few other horses away to find the missing ones. Some speculate that they may have fallen victim to some blood-thirsty monster, but most of them are confident that the Hero of Time and the Seven Sages are very much alive, and that they are simply recovering from the setback they had and will eventually return to banish Majora and Ganondorf to the Evil Realm permanently. As the figure stepped in the light of the moon, she sat down for a moment. It was Malon, daughter of the ranch owner Talon.  
"It's been over a day since Hyrule was attacked and has fallen under Ganondorf's might…" She said, sighing sadly, "I find it strange that they are keeping to themselves though. The castle has been completely separated from the main area, with nobody able to enter it unless they could jump far or be like a bird… The town is in ruins too and ever since Death Mountain has erupted, the townspeople, the villagers and even the Gorons have taken shelter elsewhere… I just hope that those who managed to escape are safe… as well as Link and his friends… I wonder where they are…"  
After a few minutes, Malon returned back into the ranch area, ready to move to bed. Fortunately for her, the ranch was spared of the current assault for the time being, as its business has so far been completely untouched. But it would only be a matter of time before it would fall under enemy occupation…

It had started to rain after Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru had entered East Termina Field. As Clock Town was still being a bit far away, the five were forced to take shelter in a grotto next to the Astral Observatory. As it was getting nighttime, the five decided to settle down for the night and reach Clock Town in the morning; they thought it would be the only spot for them where they would be safe until they were fully ready to go back towards Hyrule. Putting their equipment against the green-colored Gossip stones, Nabooru sat down against the wall in the middle, making sure her clothing wouldn't be in any of the present water puddles to prevent the sand from sticking onto it, holding Link and Saria in her left arm, while Zelda and Ruto settled at Nabooru's right arm as she held the four in a friendly, protective hold.  
"Once we get back to Hyrule, we should head for the Gerudo Fortress first once we've recovered the others." Nabooru said.  
"What for?" Zelda asked.  
"Gerudo's Fortress is practically a maze where we Gerudo reside and train. We know every inch of the fortress, so it is imperative we stay together. Besides, the Gerudo have sworn allegiance to me ever since they found out what Ganondorf had done; he would not hesitate to kill one of his own kind after all. It is a shame that Ganondorf has Gerudo blood, even though he is technically our 'king', as every male who is born every 100 years in our tribe is supposed to be." Nabooru replied.  
"Wow." Saria said, blinking.  
"We should be resting now; I have a feeling we won't be getting any rest any time soon." Nabooru said.  
"You're right. Hopefully we'll remain safe here…" Zelda said.  
"At least I'm happy to see you lot again," Link said, "somehow I felt saddened when learning you had to stay in the Chamber of the Sages during our first fight against Ganondorf."  
Zelda smiled, touched by Link's loyalty to his friends.  
"I have a hunch that there's a good chance of you joining us in the chamber in the future, Link." She said.  
Link nodded with a smile, before he dozed off with the others.

The next day, Link and the four Sages woke up, having slept well throughout the night. After retrieving and re-setting their equipment, they prepared themselves to leave.  
"By the way, how come those Gossip Stones are a different color?" Zelda asked.  
"They wanted that to be as I learned through using the Mask of Truth on them. I just had to play one of four specific songs for them…" Link said, stretching a bit.  
"Hmmm, those stones always respond to the ones wearing that mask to reveal their secrets." Zelda said, nodding.  
After getting out of the hole, the group approached East Clock Town.  
"The inn is located in East Clock Town. Hopefully we can get settled in for the time being and use their facilities to improve our skills around here further." Link said.  
"What kind of facilities do they have?" Saria asked.  
"There's a Sword Training Center in West Clock Town and an Archery Shooting Gallery in East Clock Town. West Clock Town also has shops where we can restock on supplies if needed." Link replied.  
"Alright. Perhaps we can-"  
Zelda couldn't finish her sentence as suddenly a small group of Stalfos appeared, having waited in ambush for the five! Instantly the five drew their weapons and stood in a circle, ready to defend themselves at a moment's notice.  
"An ambush… they really want us dead…" Link snarled, narrowing his eyes as his courageous self took full control.

The fight began. Link charged ahead with a Jump Slash, inflicting great damage onto the Stalfos, but a second one hit him with the scabbard, knocking him back. Ruto retaliated using her Fin Boomerangs, hitting some Stalfos, while Nabooru clocked the one which attempted to strike Ruto from behind. Saria assisted Link with the first Stalfos, while Zelda went to help Ruto. Being an adult, Nabooru could handle a Stalfos by herself, but she did whatever she could to assist her friends. Link and Saria managed to defeat one Stalfos, but then the Stalfos attacked en masse, injuring Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru in a series of slashes. Zelda was then forced to use her Sage Beam attack to disable two Stalfos who stood close together, but still, the Stalfos pressed on the offensive. A Dual Spin Attack courtesy of Nabooru decapitated three of the Stalfos, but a few more still remained.  
"These freaks are definitely skilled, I give them this much." Saria said, hissing at a slash she received on her arm.  
The slashing rampage of the Stalfos wasn't broken. Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru were hit once more, while Link managed to block the attack on him just in time with his shield. Getting angry herself, Nabooru swung her dual swords around in another big spin attack, slashing two more Stalfos to bits. The five then received a slash from behind; a few remaining Stalfos had circled around them, attacking them in the back. Saria yelped as she was forced to drop her weapons. Now getting pissed off, Link charged whatever magic power he could muster and unleashed his Super Spin Attack just as the Stalfos leapt at them, destroying the last remaining Stalfos in the process.

With the battle over, Link panted furiously as he leaned on his sword which he stabbed in the ground for now, trying to calm himself down. He could see Saria and Ruto on the ground, having several cut wounds , while Nabooru tried to nurse Zelda's arm. The last thing Link saw, before he collapsed from exhaustion, was that several civilians and guards of Clock Town rushing to them, having heard the battle and watched them defeat the Stalfos. Nabooru watched Link passing out, while she felt light-headed as well, due to her own injuries…

Link, Saria, Ruto, Nabooru and Zelda woke up, finding themselves in a warm bed each, in a big bedroom which was illuminated by a few makeshift candles and torches. They also noted that each of their injuries had been bandaged thoroughly, although a few had some makeshift stitches. Both Link and Zelda had one of their arms in a sling, while Saria had her left leg completely covered in bandages. Ruto's fins were also carefully tended to, with bandages around her shoulders. Their equipment was neatly placed on top of a small table by their beds, their normal clothing replaced by some night clothing. Hearing two sets of footsteps, the five looked up to see a door opening. Inside came a woman with dark red hair, wearing an outfit of where she looked like a caretaker of an inn.  
"Anju?" Link asked, recognizing her.  
"Yes, it's me. Are you alright?" The woman asked.  
"We're alive, that's saying a lot; those Stalfos did quite a number on us." Zelda said.  
"Thank you for bringing us here. Where are we?" Saria asked.  
"You're in the Stock Pot Inn. We had to carry you up here after bandaging your injuries and everything." Anju replied.  
"Thank you." Ruto said, smiling.  
"No problem. You should rest for now, the weather's going bad today…" Anju said, pointing at the rain outside.  
The five nodded, opting to stay in their room for now to properly recuperate, falling asleep a few minutes later.

About thirty minutes have passed since the group was taken into the Stock Pot Inn, which was luckily in time as a fierce thunderstorm passed over Clock Town and its surrounding field area. Link however was awake as he had a hard time in sleeping, sighing deeply, before observing the room... Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru are seemingly asleep.  
_'This sure is a whole series of unfortunate events. I have my Gilded Sword, but the others have still the basic ones… I wonder if the Smith's house in the Mountain Village is still present...'_ Link thought to himself as he looked around, dozing off slightly, only to be startled by a very loud thunderclap, causing him to nearly sit up in bed in a flash, although hissing as his arm still hurt, even though it was in a sling. He then heard the sound of someone whimpering nearby… it was Saria, whom also was startled by that thunderclap, waking her up.  
"Saria?" Link whispered to her, gaining Saria's attention.  
"L... Link..." Saria said, before she slowly got out of her bed and limped towards his, with Link moving his blanket away to she can enter his bed carefully, wanting to provide some comfort and company. Both relaxed a bit after finding a comfortable position next to each other without touching each other's injuries.  
"Are you alright?" Link asked her in a whisper.  
"Not really... this thunderstorm scares me... it reminds me of evil with its ferocity..." Saria whispered back, while Link nodded.  
Another loud thunderclap sounds of the area, causing Link and Saria to hold each other, while Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru are also startled by this.  
"Dang, the weather is really harsh..." Nabooru said, catching her breath from the sudden jump scare.  
Ruto shivered in her bed, only to see Saria lying in Link's bed, eventually deciding to limp over to them as she needed the company. Nabooru and Zelda soon followed, with Nabooru carefully trying to shove Saria's bed next to Link's to make twin beds, which would provide enough room for the five to lay down on.  
"Things are really messed up now..." Link said as Nabooru carefully moved the blanked over the group.  
"I'll say... I wonder if we are truly ready for this..." Saria said, trying to relax.  
"Any ideas? Other than training of course..." Zelda asked.  
"I know of a place close to Snowhead where a blacksmith has his business. He and I go way back after I destroyed Goht, the beast that was wrecking havoc in the Snowhead Temple and thus was bothering the mountain area, including its Goron Population. He should be able to get our swords upgraded." Link said.  
"That's a great idea; we can train during the time they are working on our blades. I'm sure it can also help us in finding more weapons we can handle. Even Ruto should be able to handle more weapons." Nabooru said, smiling which caused Ruto to blush.  
"I also remember having a bank account with a very big amount of rupees here. If anything, we could also go for some shopping and get in some bombs and other weapons. I feel that in this time of emergency, it should come in handy. I also suggest we should visit the Zora in the Great Bay. They know a few secret techniques that Ruto will be able to use just fine." Link said  
"You're really resourceful, Link." Zelda said, gaining more respect for the hero.  
"Hey, I don't want to keep you slighted, just because I'm the Hero. As we know, we need the help of each other really hard in the upcoming days, so I want to help you train in the weapons. With the friends I have made during the time I spent in Termina to defeat Majora the first time, that should be no problem." Link said.  
"Sweet. I suggest we should also have some songs to us available which we can use during our quest. Perhaps their magic can be of use in a few places." Saria said.  
"Great idea. Let's just hope the weather improves overnight... " Link said, looking outside as it rained hard, large puddles of water being present on the outside street, with the street itself void of life due to everyone seeking shelter inside.

Unknown to the five, they were being watched from the roof of the Milk Bar, apparently paying no attention to the rain. It sat there for a moment, watching them fall asleep, before spreading its wings and flying off, knowing it would see them soon enough. Back on Termina Field, the final remains of the Stalfos attacking the five disintegrated into nothingness, the blood stains being slowly washed away as if nothing happened. And yet… a dark presence remained close by, waiting for its chance to strike again at the group when the time was right… All they needed to do was to play the waiting game and ensure that their leaders would tighten their rule over the already conquered lands, before moving on to take what was left untouched or unconquered, so no one would be able to resist them any longer. A soft, dark laughter echoed away with the sounds of the rain and thunder…


	4. Chapter 4: The Long Journey begins

_Chapter 4: The Long Journey Begins_

The next day, the weather cleared up to be more comfortable to go out in. Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru are on their way to the Mountain Village near Snowhead, after visiting the Clock Town's Great Fairy's Fountain, where the Great Fairy completely healed their wounds using her own magic. Still, the five decided to keep a low profile in order to prevent another attack from happening.  
"Wow, you sure weren't kidding when you said it was cold here..." Saria said, shivering as the group walked through the snow-covered path.  
"Are you sure we're headed the right way, Link?" Nabooru asked.  
"I am really sure, Nabooru. Look, there's the house right up ahead." Link said, pointing to a lone house in a grassy field, in contrast to the snow-covered path from before.  
"It looks like that they are in business already." Zelda said, blinking as the group enters the house.  
"Ah, Welcome! It's been a while we've had a few customers. " Zubora, the smaller blacksmith said.  
"Is it that bad?" Link asked, scratching his head.  
"Well, business is real easy these days, especially after yesterday's weather," Zubora replied, "anyway, what can I do for you?"  
"We'd like to have our blades upgraded, please. It's not my blade that's of concern here, but those of my friends'." Link said.  
"That's no big deal, but you know about the Razor Sword, right?" Zubora asked.  
"Yes, so I already have a few bottles with top-quality of Gold Dust with me here. " Link said, producing a few bottles of Gold Dust.  
"Gold Dust? How did you get that, Link?" Zelda asked, blinking.  
"Back when I was in Termina, I participated in these Goron Races while inhabiting the body of a Goron myself. A bottle of Gold Dust would be given to those who would win that race." Link casually replied.  
"Wow, so you've been saving that up?" Saria asked.  
"Yes, I've hidden it in the case I or you would need it. I've participated in some extra tournaments before making my leave to Hyrule back then to get this amount."  
"That is amazing!" Zubora said as he examined a bottle of Gold Dust, "This is real top quality. We will get to work on this right away, but it will take at least a few days."  
"That's okay. As long as it gets done right, then it's all good, right?" Nabooru asked.  
"Exactly. I pledge my word that your blades, when upgraded, will never break and will at least inflict TWICE the damage your current blades are doing if you would use them now." Zubora said.  
"Alright then, I wish you good luck." Zelda said, before the group leaves the Mountain Blacksmith's house.

"What are we going to do now, Link? You still have your sword, but…" Nabooru said.  
"We'll head back to Clock Town to do some shopping and light training first. After that, I want to take you on a cruise along the Southern Swamp, before we continue our training there." Link said, smiling.  
"That sounds good to me. A bit of relaxing to get some decent rest before training again..." Zelda said.  
"Do you plan to show us a bit around Termina, Link?" Saria asked, being intrigued by the whole area itself.  
"As long as nothing serious will happen and does not involve Ikana Canyon, then yes." Link said, making the others chuckle.  
"Sweet! Do we get to visit the Zoras too?" Ruto asked, being curious to meet her fellows in Termina.  
"Why not? The Zora Hall is at Great Bay, though, so it may take some time before we get there." Link said.  
"Awesome!" Ruto said, jumping with joy.  
"But first to Clock Town again, right?" Nabooru asked.  
"Yes. There's a few games we can play there which will reward us with some better or new equipment that we may need." Link said.  
"Alright, we should be ready for anything."  
"True that." Zelda said.

With the group back on their way back to Clock Town, they took a moment to observe the landscape around them.  
"Wow, this looks so different compared to Hyrule." Zelda commented.  
"It is, huh? The place even left me baffled when I first traveled around these parts." Link said.  
"The people seem different here as well, there are things here that I have never seen before back in Hyrule." Zelda replied.  
"I'll say, I'm more surprised at the people being so tolerant as well…" Nabooru said.  
"I think it's because they saw you doing your best to protect us. They may now know about our origins so it's likely they could have seen you as someone whom was watching over us or something." Link said.  
"Hmmm, I see your point." Nabooru said.  
"Link, I've seen you staring up at the sky every now and then. Is there something wrong?" Saria asked, concerned.  
"Well, time was off the essence when I was in Termina the first time, since I was trying to prevent the moon from landing on Clock Town. It has left quite an impact on me as a whole, because during those cycles, that moon was hanging in the air, inching closer and closer to Clock Town… but the face it sported unsettled me the most… all because of Majora." Link said.  
The others blinked at this. Was there a bit of shame… or fear… or even paranoia in that statement?  
"I don't blame you, kid," Nabooru then said, "you've been practically going through a lot more events than we possibly can imagine, so such behavior is logical since you must have seen quite a lot of horrific events. Heck, I actually understand how you must be feeling now…"  
"You do?" Link asked.  
"Yes. I've had some time where I was constantly watching my back just to be sure that those old witches wouldn't come to try and brainwash me again like they did to me before." Nabooru said.  
"Dang, and here I thought being sealed inside a crystal prison, being forced to watch the battle from above was bad enough…" Zelda said, doing a double-take herself.  
"Had it not been for Sheik, I would have been trapped under a thick ice sheet with the rest of my people…" Ruto added.  
"And I've been under attack while trying to investigate what was going on at the Forest Temple…" Saria butted in.  
"So we all have had our fair share of traumatic events…" Link said, blinking as the group decided to head directly to the Southern Swamp to relax for a bit before going into town.  
"Yes. And I have a feel that we might face some more in the upcoming time. But if we stick together, we should be able to overcome them, no matter what." Nabooru said.  
"That's something I would say." Link said with a sly grin.  
"Heh, everyone of us is a hero in their own way." Nabooru said with a smirk.

About an hour later, the group was in the Southern Swamp, relaxing their legs and feet in the soothing water of the swamp, having decided to work out a plan to get their upgrades in an orderly fashion more properly without the townspeople eavesdropping on them.  
"Alright, what's first?" Saria asked.  
"The Southern Swamp has a Shooting Gallery we can visit. We can use that to improve our skills in using the bow and arrow and, in your case, the Slingshot." Link said.  
"That's right, I did have my Slingshot with me, having it stashed in my pocket. " Saria said, nodding  
"We can also work to deposit the Rupees at the bank; perhaps with a joint account, we could set up some lifesavings in case we need it. Clock Town has multiple shops around too, including one where they only sell bombs and related articles." Link said.  
"By the way, I noticed a bar when we left the town. I've never heard of a bar before…" Zelda said.  
"It's a place where people can drink together and where they can enjoy music as far as I could tell. I've visited the place a couple of times and I have to say, the milk they serve there is quite exquisite." Link said.  
"How so?" Saria asked.  
"They have a special kind of milk known as 'Chateau Romani'. According to those who make it, it's said to be quite healthy and very energizing too. Some claim it allowed them to use their magic attacks for a full 3 days after consuming it." Link said.  
"For 3 whole days?!" Ruto asked, blinking.  
"Yes. It's pretty radical, I know, but I must admit that it tastes great, although it costs 200 Rupees for one bottle…" Link said.  
The others nodded, wondering if they could taste it for themselves.  
"So, where will be going first?" Saria asked.  
"The Old Hag's Potion Shop is up ahead. Imagine my surprise of finding out that Kotake is running that shop." Link said.  
"Kotake?! Are you serious?!" Nabooru asked, looking at Link as if she was hoping he was joking.  
"You bet. It appears that she and Koume both may have reformed and settled down in Termina for business."  
"Wow." Zelda said, blinking.  
"Wait, do you smell that?!" Saria asked, picking up a scent that is somehow familiar to her.  
" What is it?" Ruto asked.  
"I'm smelling something odd... as if I'm picking up some forest material." Saria said, getting up.  
"I'm smelling it too. We should check it out." Link said.  
"Where does it come from?" Zelda asked.  
"It gets closer whenever we move to the other side of that house in the swamp." Saria said, pointing to the right, where also an owl statue stood. Heading towards it, the five went to investigate where the smell came from.  
Grabbing an empty bag, Nabooru snatched what she could regarding the source of the smell, before examining it. "Ooooh, that's a real strong odor." She said as she opened the bag.  
"What is it?" Zelda asked.  
"Let's see..." Saria said as she peeks in the bag, "that is definitely forest material alright. I've seen similar mushrooms back at Kokiri Forest on occasion."  
"Mushrooms, you say? Then I know the exact address of where to deliver them. It's the Old Hag's Potion Shop, but we have to cross the water to get there." Link said, pointing to the direction behind him.  
"A little swim can't do us any harm." Zelda said, having dressed in a more civilian-type of outfit to remain unsuspected.  
"Let's go." Ruto said, eager to venture further in the water.  
With Link leading the way, the five went towards the north-east of their current position, through the water first, after passing through a corridor, where they came across the Old Hag's Potion Shop.

Climbing towards the Potion Shop using the ladder, Link and the girls reached the entrance to the shop.  
"I am glad we're away from the Stone Tower and its Temple." Link said, shuddering.  
"How so?" Saria asked, curious.  
"Back when I first explored it and regained the Light Arrows, I had to shoot the blood-red emblems located in the Temple itself to progress. This caused both the Stone Tower and the Temple itself to LITERALLY flip upside down!"  
"YIKES! That must have been weird!" Zelda said, blinking at it.  
"You bet it was. I had a funny feeling underneath the soles of my feet through that moment; one mistake on my part could make me fall into the air." Link said, shuddering again before he opened the door.

The group entered the shop, where they saw Kotake a bit sleeping about. Link moved forward, after which Kotake woke up, hearing the footsteps. Nabooru instinctively nearly grabbed her sword, but Zelda stopped her.  
"Oh, wow! So many customers already? And what is that smell?" Kotake asked, before Link gave her the mushroom, "hey, those are some real fresh mushrooms! I'll be able to brew something good for you in turn."  
"Weren't you in the Spirit Temple first?" Nabooru asked, ignoring the look Zelda gave her.  
"We were, but ever since Ganondorf became too greedy after his intentions were made clear and as such got sealed away in that realm, we had little use for that temple anymore, so Koume and I have basically 'retired' and decided to settle down here in Termina to open up our business here. Koume is the host of the Southern Swamp Tour." Kotake said.  
"Was Ganondorf too hard even for you to control?" Zelda asked, being confused.

"Oh yes. His desire to gain more power was getting a bit too nasty at times. Especially after obtaining the Triforce of Power did this become even worse. It is a... sensitive subject for us on that note. I admit that we used to be his surrogate mothers since we're of the same race, but at times I do wonder if we have spoiled him too much. The decision to settle down was strengthened when that weird mask-wielding imp almost crippled Koume. I gave Link the potion needed for her recovery, which he did." Kotake said.  
"Link?" Zelda asked, blinking.  
"I did help her out, as I feel that there are people who can change for good if they try." Link said.  
"So you have decided to give them a second chance, huh?" Saria asked.  
"That I did. I may be a nice guy, but to be honest, I don't take kindly to people who stab others in the back. I've already told myself back then that if someone who would stab me in the back, I'd deal with them personally." Link said.  
"Alright. The brewing may take some time, but I'll eventually may have made a decent medicine for you all so you'll be able to recover quicker if needed. This sample will be given for free as a sign of my good faith." Kotake said.  
"Alright then. Take care of yourself." Link said as the group went to leave.  
"I will. And if you need a tour around the swamp, feel free to look up my sister at the Swamp Tourist Information Center. She also may challenge you to a game if you feel like it." Kotake said.  
The group smiled with a nod, before leaving the shop, moving back to Clock Town.  
"Things have been rather easy so far, don't you think?" Ruto asked as they ventured once more through the water.  
"I agree, but we shouldn't jinx it. It's likely that our nemeses are occupied with rebuilding their fortress and increasing security on it even more, to a level where it would be impossible for one to venture in there to confront them by themselves." Link said.  
"True, knowing what those two are capable of…" Zelda said.

Later on, the children decided to have a bit of fun with exercising a bit in Termina field, working on their condition and stamina while Nabooru was watching them closely, going so far as to sneak up behind the present Takkuri bird at the ranch and booted it against a tree while it tried to attack Zelda.  
"Piss off." Nabooru snarled at the bird, whom flew away towards the place where the Curiosity shop was in Clock Town to have its wounds treated.  
Over the course of the day, Link upgraded his main bank account in Clock Town to make it a joint account for his friends, while also showing them the Shooting Gallery in Clock Town that allowed them to train their archery skills. This was very helpful for both Zelda and Saria in particular as they did improve on their reaction time and accuracy after some trial and error. They repeated this with the Swamp Shooting Gallery as well as Koume's Swamp Challenge, with Link smiling at the progress they made. By the end of the day, the five were found inside the Latte Milk Bar, thanks to Link donning his Romani Mask (which Saria and Zelda found cute) to allow them entry, chatting together while sipping each from a bottle of milk.  
"You know, I haven't thought much about it due to us being occupied at that time, I think I may have seen something back when we did the Shooting Game with Koume back at the Southern Swamp. Something that seemed out of place." Link said to Zelda as the others were chatting with each other.  
"What do you think is going on there?" Zelda asked.  
"I know as much as you do on that, but perhaps either the Deku Royal Family residing there could be in another uproar, or the Spider House I once cleared out there may be infested again, I really don't know for sure. Things have changed now that we've been transported here." Link said, to which Zelda nodded.  
"You think that our nemeses may be responsible for that?" She asked.  
"That could be very likely. They could even be sadistic enough to let us go through that bloody Stone Tower again." Link said.  
"How so?"  
"Passing through the Stone Towers is hard enough; one has to use switches to align boxes perfectly to make a bridge to a different section, but the switch can only remain in place when something remained on top of the switch, like a block or a person. As there was no such thing around the switches to help, I was, thanks to a tip from a Garo Ninja, forced to head with the alternative. It required me to play a song of a soldier who has no heart, a soldier who will not succumb to the Darkness. That song is known as the 'Elegy of Emptiness', which has been taught to me by none other than Igos du Ikana, formerly King of the Ikana Kingdom himself."  
"'Elegy of Emptiness'? What does it do?"  
"When played, the song basically creates a 'statue' of the one playing the song, the statue being modeled after the body the player currently inhabits. It can be someone like you and me, but it can be also a Deku, a Goron, a Zora or even a Gerudo for that matter. Anyway, that statue acts as a replacement for a weight in case we may need one." "Very interesting. And what about the Temple itself?" Zelda asked.  
"The Stone Tower Temple is basically a dead-end temple, unless one possesses the Light Arrows. As the Garo Master, whom I had defeated in combat during my exploration of the temple said to me: 'If you shoot that which releases the sacred golden light into the blood-stained, red emblem outside the temple... it shall rearrange things, in which the earth is born in the heavens and the moon is born on the earth'."  
"So by shooting the Light Arrows at these blood-stained emblems outside the temple, it turned the whole thing upside down?!" Zelda asked, now understanding what Link had told before.  
"Exactly. And not just the Temple; the ENTIRE Stone Tower area was turned upside down as well. It was really mind-boggling to me too." Link said.  
"Geez, I've heard about certain temples being quite a challenge to overcome, but whoa; that is insane!"  
"I know, right? Couple that with the lives of pretty much EVERYONE in Termina as well as my own being at stake due to that frigging moon…" Link said.  
"Oh my. You truly are a hero for having pulled through such a crisis of that magnitude…" Zelda said, finding her respect for Link flying up through the roof.  
"You have no idea how many times I've found myself thanking you and the Goddess of Time… you for giving me the Ocarina of Time and the Goddess of Time for coming to my aid whenever I needed her…" Link said, seeing the bartender coming to them, thus being unaware of a slight blush creeping on Zelda's face for remembering her through the Ocarina…  
"You two seem quite close together." The Bartender said.  
"Well, we are technically childhood friends." Link said with a smile.  
"Oh really? With the way you were conversing together, I thought it ran deeper than that…" The bartender teasingly said, amused as both Link and Zelda's faces turned red as they blushed at this, unable to find the words to deny this.  
"Just kidding with you two," He then said, calming the two down, "anyway, since I haven't had so many customers at once in my bar at a time, I'm giving you something on the house: a free sample of the Chateau Romani."  
The bartender then produces five bottles of Chateau Romani, which the group itself accepted.  
"What is this?" Ruto asked.  
"This is the Chateau Romani, the finest vintage of milk that is only here available. It's normally quite expensive, but it's well worth it." The Bartender said.  
"Thanks, do you mind if we keep it with us for later?" Link asked.  
"Of course. Just make sure you store it somewhere cool." The bartender said, smiling.  
"Thank you." Zelda said, before the group decided to call it a day and left the bar.

Once back at the inn, they stored their newly acquired drinks in the chest to keep it cool, deciding to take it easy and plan things accordingly for tomorrow.  
"Link, can you tell us about your first fight against Majora?" Zelda then asked.  
"It was freaky to say the least," Link said, "first I had to deal with the mask itself. Seeing a mask float around with these tendrils sticking from its back wasn't something you see all day. Halfway through the battle, the remains of the main Temple monsters I've slain came to life to attack me as well. I got rid of them first, before I dealt with Majora's Mask itself. But once I defeated it, the madness began."  
"How so?" Saria asked.  
"The Mask began to grow skinny legs and feet as well as a small, one-eyed head, which then began to run around like crazy, doing different sorts of weird dance moves and occasionally trying to hit me with a barrage of energy blasts. He was, surprisingly, more easy to deal with. But then..." Link said, shuddering visibly.

"What happened then?" Ruto asked, obviously hooked by the story.  
"When I had defeated Majora's Incarnation, as the form was called, it began to throb. Its arms and legs began to fill up, growing in mass as it were, followed by the generation of a new head and tentacles appeared on his 'hands' which he could use to whip me with them. He was also much more menacing and harder to beat, forcing me to use the one thing I couldn't imagine using." Link said.  
"And what would that be?" Nabooru asked, listening.  
"It is a mask that I still have around here somewhere. It's called the Fierce Deity's Mask." Link said.  
"The Fierce Deity's Mask?!" Zelda asked, going bug-eyed.  
"Yes, the Fierce Deity's Mask. Majora gave it to me as he was still thinking I was wanting to 'play' with him as he saw everything as a game. To be honest, when I put the mask on, I felt as if an Oni took control of me and gave me the power I needed to slay Majora and ensure that Termina would not be destroyed by the moon." Link asked.  
"And you still have that mask?"  
"Yes. I honestly am afraid of the mask itself, given the form it put me in as a result. Thankfully I only used it for that single fight, but I have the distinct feeling of that I may need it anytime soon. I have the best hopes of not having to use it, but I can't help to think otherwise. So I am asking your help with this."  
"What do you want us to do?" Saria asked, growing concerned for her childhood friend.  
"It may be hard, but I was wondering if you, with the help of the remaining sages, can see if the mask can be purified, so that I will not be corrupted by the enormous power that dwells within the mask itself. I have the self-control to remove the mask after using it for a short time, but I don't want to be overtaken by it." Link practically pleaded, showing that he was afraid of becoming corrupted by the mask after using it in this crisis, thus leading his friends and himself into danger that could mean their deaths.  
"Link, we will be more than happy to try that for you. You have helped us in the time of need, so it would be bad of us to not return the favor. I believe you when you feel that mask may be needed soon, so we'll help in purifying the mask for you." Zelda said, vowing to help her friend in this.  
Saria, Ruto and Nabooru nodded, agreeing with Zelda.  
"Thank you, this does mean a lot to me." Link said, his charismatic smile infecting the girls as it made them smile in kind.  
The group decided to take a rest to be refreshed for the coming day.  
"So, what are the plans for tomorrow?" Nabooru asked.  
"We'll head for the Great Bay area next to visit the Zora population there." Link said, making Ruto smile.  
"Sweet! I can't wait to see people from my kind in this land." She said.  
Link smiled, before he laid down in his bed to sleep, as did the others.


	5. Chapter 5: Troubles arise

_Chapter 5: Troubles arise_

Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru had woken up to a new day. After their breakfast, they equipped the weapons they could carry at the time to defend themselves until their blades had been finished with upgrading. After checking everything and buying some additional supplies for their trip, the five went towards the Zora Cape, at the Great Bay. The Zora there were very much honored to have the Princess of the Zora Race over, earning the five a special performance from the Zora band: The Indigo-Go's, which included the greatest hit: The Ballad of the Wind Fish. The guitarist present was the successor to Mikau, whom had passed away after being gravely injured during his attempt to retrieve Lulu's eggs, which had been stolen by a tribe of Pirates, which were of the Gerudo Race. Link told his friends what happened back then: After he went to the Great Bay himself, he found Mikau's mortally wounded body floating in the water of the Great Bay. Link helped him to shore and listened to Mikau's final words, after which Link used the Song of Healing to heal Mikau's soul, allowing Link, by means of the Zora Mask, to masquerade himself as Mikau in order to fulfill Mikau's final wish: To retrieve the eggs from the Pirates, restoring Lulu's voice and going so far as to smite the evil that had been haunting the Great Bay Temple: Gyorg, the Gargantuan Masked Fish, who was responsible for imprisoning the 3rd Giant, the guardian deity of the Great Bay, causing the waters of the Great Bay Coast to become polluted and dangerous and causing an abnormal climate shift in the Great Bay area, which was restored to normal upon Gyorg's defeat. Princess Ruto in particular was amazed at what Link had done to preserve the Zora Tribe in the Great Bay area. After moving back to shore of the Zora Cape, the group made their way back towards the Great Bay Coast, stopping only to enjoy the sights.  
"The water has surely improved in quality in comparison to the last time I was here." Link said.  
"How so?" Ruto asked.  
"Well, when the Majora-possessed Skull Kid wrecked havoc around these parts, the weather was rather abnormal here, causing an increase in the ocean's temperature which in turn wouldn't do the Zora Eggs trapped in the Pinnacle Rock any good." Link said.  
"True that; the eggs of our kind are very sensitive to temperature changes in their environment." Ruto said, nodding.

On their way back to Termina Field, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru paid a visit to the grave which Link had set up to bury Mikau in, the five holding a moment of silence in his honor. After that, the five went to see the professor at the lab to allow Ruto to see the Baby Zoras that had hatched from the eggs that Lulu, the band's singer, had laid a year prior. The Baby Zoras were fortunately growing well, looking like slightly bigger tadpoles that had to develop their forms like Ruto over the years to come. After leaving the lab and moving back on the sand towards the shore, taking out several Leevers that tried to bother them along the way.  
"I could have sworn to have seen a Like-Like or two here as well…" Zelda said.  
"They dwell in this area, Zelda, so we need to watch our backs, although most of them are underneath the water surface." Link said.  
After about 10 minutes, the group finally entered West Termina Field. It was there that the five were suddenly approached by the sound of a horse galloping, along with a friendly neighing. Link turned around, before his eyes went wide.  
"I don't believe it! Epona!" Link exclaimed, seeing his trusty steed once more, alive and well.  
"Whoa, she's cute." Ruto said, finally getting a good look at the horse.  
"Maybe we can make a detour towards Romani Ranch, perhaps we can find some more horses so we all have a shorter travel time. Besides, it can help us getting to certain areas faster." Link said, smiling.  
"Great idea." Zelda said with a smile.

Unknown to them, they were being watched from a distance by about three people.  
"Are they the people we seek?" A gruff man asked.  
"Yes. They are in possession of some of the items we looted the other day. They also seem to have quite the riches with them, concerning the jewelry they have with them. And that boy's sword has traces of gold within it too." A female said.  
"Hmmm, how interesting." The first man said, deciding to gain a bit more information about them first before acting.

The group itself managed to travel to the southwest of Termina Field, entering the Milk Road that led into Romani Ranch, Epona accompanying them along the way. The road itself was open as it always had been after Link left Termina and, after entering the ranch, the group could see how big it was, with the numerous cows present in the field, being carefully looked after by Cremia, while Romani was once more practicing with her bow. Also present on the ranch were a few more horses. It was Cremia who first noticed them.  
"Oh? New visitors?" She asked, before spotting Link, "Ah, how nice to see you here again. What brings you all the way here?"  
"Well, that's kind of a long and complicated story." Link said, scratching the back of his head.  
"We're here to ask if you have some horses available for us to lend for the time being. There's trouble brewing again in our homeland and we fear that, due to us being sent all the way here, Termina may be in crisis soon once again." Zelda said.  
Cremia nodded.  
"Well, I do have some horses available, but I'm not just giving them away for free. I apologize for it though, but I have it very busy as a ranch owner and all… it's not easy to keep track of everything." She said.  
"That's understandable. Do you need any help with something?" Link asked.  
"Well, I'm due to deliver another supply of milk to the Milk Bar shortly, but lately the cows have been restless, producing not that much of milk because of it. Romani's training with her bow isn't helping much either. Although she keeps herself in the area where she won't form a hazard for the animals around here, she's grown more and more zealous lately." Cremia said.  
"Hmmm, perhaps she could have caught someone trying to mess with the cattle and fended them off while doing her best not to cause any alarm to you…" Link said, remembering how he helped Romani himself with fending off creatures trying to steal the cattle in the barn successfully.  
"That sounds quite plausible…" Cremia said, thinking.  
"If you like we can stick around to see what has been causing the uproar in a way so we can find a way to solve it." Nabooru offered.  
"That would be splendid. If you can help with keeping the cattle at ease and safe, then I'll give you any horse you wish in gratitude." Cremia said, smiling brightly.  
The five nodded in agreement, ready to help out.  
"So, you said that the cows have difficulty with producing milk, you said?" Link asked.  
"Yeah, they seem calm now, but over the past days…" Cremia said.  
"Perhaps I can help to solve that problem." He said, grabbing his own Ocarina.  
"What are you doing?" Cremia asked.  
"Just trust me on this and keep the bucket underneath the cow's udder, please." Link said.  
Confused, Cremia did as Link requested as Link himself concentrated, playing Epona's Song on his Ocarina. After the song finished, the cow itself responded right away with a pleasant moo, before it began to release the milk in the bucket… filling it completely in just about one or two minutes!  
"Huh?! How did you do that?!" Cremia asked, blinking at the rapidly filling bucket.  
"Playing Epona's Song helps with this; it has been said that the song reminds them of the pasture, making them feel good, hence they can produce a lot of milk in turn." Link said with a smile, although there was no sign of boasting in his voice.  
"That's amazing! It looks like I can actually get to have a basic supply AND reserve too!" Cremia said, excited.  
The group smiled at this, before going to work to help Romani and Cremia out. In a way, it served as training too, coupled with the fact that many hands could finish the job easier. The milking was done in about an hour, primarily thanks to Epona's Song which calmed the cows and allowed them to produce practically TWICE as much milk than normal. Along the way, the group decided to spar on occasion as well, using the weapons they had at their disposal and also training with Romani on the obstacle course. This kind of practice went on during the day, until it became dusk.

Once work was over, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru sat on the roof of Cremia and Romani's place, enjoying the sunset while also keeping an eye out on things.  
"So far, so good. Your blades should be done upgrading the following day." Link said.  
"Thank you." Zelda said, smiling.  
"Is there something wrong, Zelda? You've been gloomy for most part of the day…" Nabooru said.  
"To be honest, what bothers me is the way Majora got resurrected." Zelda said.  
"Link, do you suspect that Ganondorf could have possibly resurrected Majora?" Saria asked.  
"Ganondorf HAS the Triforce of Power, so he should retain some of his strength at least." Link said.  
"But we sealed him away in the Evil Realm, there's no way he could have POSSIBLY gotten out of there to simply resurrect a person, trap himself back in the Evil Realm and let him help to fully break the seal!" Ruto said.  
"That's right," Link said, before he went wide eyed, "unless Ganondorf somehow used the Triforce of Power to make himself an avatar in our world and use him as a pawn to get what he needed!"  
"That must have been the other guy that I have seen floating next to Majora back in Hyrule Field!" Zelda said.  
"Saria and I also saw him being present when we were scouting out the forces present in an open field in the area between Hyrule and Termina. And knowing how powerful Ganondorf is, they would probably concentrate on rebuilding their fortress and then spread out to at least strengthen the strongholds they already have re-gained control over." Link said.  
"So you mean we could be facing monsters stronger than they were before?" Zelda asked.  
"That's a big possibility. Perhaps Hyrule could even be off-limits to us for now, simply to either weaken us enough out here."  
"Hmmm, you raise an interesting point… but how will we be able to reach Impa, Darunia and Rauru if we can't enter Hyrule?" Zelda asked.  
"We should try to find another way in, but we would first need to find where exactly the roads of Hyrule are being blocked and/or if we can even remove them now. I doubt we can tackle them at this time, but you and I as well as Ganondorf himself know that you and I need to stay alive, considering we are in possession of the Triforce pieces that Ganondorf wants…" Link replied.  
"Oh boy, I have a feeling we're in for a long trip." Saria said, before seeing someone entering the ranch. Nabooru saw it as well.  
"Hey, who's in need of milk at this time of night?" The Gerudo leader asked.  
Link, Zelda and Ruto also looked at the person entering the ranch.  
"What's up with that person?! He's prancing around like an idiot!" Saria said.  
"I'll say- wait a second, that's Sakon; one of the most notorious thieves in Termina!" Link said, recognizing him.  
"You know him?" Zelda asked, blinking.  
"You got that right; I foiled him from stealing a Bomb Bag from an old lady during my first stay in Termina and retrieved the Sun Mask he stole earlier from his hideout with help of one of the denizens of Clock Town." Link said.  
"He's headed for the barn!" Nabooru said.

Carefully sneaking around so no one would see him, Sakon entered the barn carefully, sneaking past the sleeping cows.  
_'Yes, soon enough their riches will be mine.'_ He thought as he carefully went to open the door to the storage where the Chateau Romani was being stored, intending to finally take some of it with him to sell at the Curiosity Shop for a bargain, which in turn would put the ranch out of business. It was more of an elaborate detour which he was performing into getting to the real treasure, the riches of the ranch owner Cremia. It was of his intention to make it appear he was going to steal their precious milk, so his true plan could come to pass, but as long as the door was locked… Taking a jar, he went towards his exit to carefully sneak out, managing to go outside and ready to sneak away towards the exit of the ranch and towards those who paid him to do this. It was then that someone landed in front of him, drawing his sword and shield! It was Link!  
"Where are YOU going, Sakon?!" Link snarled.  
"Huh?" Sakon, looking down to him.  
"Remember me?" Link asked, his demeanor showing that he wasn't messing around.  
"Ah, you! You were the one who snuck into my hideout and stole that mask from me!" Sakon snapped.  
"Stole it from you?! I helped someone RECLAIM the mask since YOU were the one who stole it in the first place!" Link retorted.  
"Why you little brat! I should knock this jar on-"  
Sakon couldn't finish his sentence as he felt something pointing in his back. Link however smiled at this, seeing Zelda having snuck up behind Sakon and was currently holding her bow ready at Sakon's back, an arrow placed at point blank range.  
"Don't even think about it!" Zelda said.  
Having heard the commotion, both Romani and Cremia rushed outside, seeing Nabooru walking up to Sakon and pulling the jar out of his hands.  
"This belongs to the ranch, thief!" The Gerudo said, proving to Zelda that she was totally unlike the other Gerudo and Ganondorf as a whole.  
Sakon growled; he was caught like a rat in a trap! But how was that even possible?! He was one of the greatest thieves of Termina! And now he was bested, again! Saria then used her lean fingers to pluck something from Sakon's pocket.  
"Check this out, looks like this one was on a payroll… it says here that the Gorman Brothers paid him…" She said.  
Cremia's eyes narrowed at this.  
"Those blasted Gorman brothers… always trying to put me out of business…" She said.  
"Hmmm, I think I may have something to help you out with it in the future." Link said, having an idea.  
Sakon in the meantime was struggling in the arms of Nabooru, whom held him tightly at the arms.  
"You're due for a long time in prison, pal!" The Gerudo snarled, narrowing her eyes at the thief.  
Sakon went wide-eyed at this, before promptly head-butting Nabooru backwards, knocking her full in the face, breaking her nose which forced Nabooru to let him go. In a quick reflex reaction, Sakon snagged one of the Deku Nuts that Link carried with him before smashing it onto the ground, its blinding flash effectively blinding the others for a brief moment, at which Sakon took it as his cue to bail out as quickly as possible. Cremia dropped the jar she was holding, but due to the soft grass below, it didn't shatter, it just fell over on the ground, although Romani tripped over it as she staggered to get the flash out of her eyes.

Link was the first to recover and saw Sakon running away like a dog running with its tail between its legs. Playing Epona's Song to call his trusty steed, Link first grabbed his equipment and tried to help the others before mounting Epona.  
"He's NOT going to get away!" Link said, with Epona neighing in kind.  
Before he could take off in pursuit, someone took position behind Link on Epona. It was Zelda, her bow and arrows ready.  
"Go get him!" Zelda said.  
"You bet!" Link said as Epona then took off with them, gaining ground on the thief.  
As they went in pursuit, both Link and Zelda got their bows ready, wanting to intercept him once they had him in their sights, but with him running left to right a bit, made it not easy to aim.

Sakon initially slowed down to try and catch his breath, but blinked as two arrows, courtesy from Link and Zelda, flung past his ears, causing him to make a mad dash out of the Milk Road and heading to the right, to where the Gorman Race Track was, running over the track in a counter clock-wise direction.  
"COME BACK HERE, YOU DIRTY COWARD!" Both Link and Zelda said in unison as they pursued the thief over the track.  
No sooner have they gone over the track, when suddenly two masked man with a familiar battle-cry began to pursue them, making it a two way chase; Sakon running for his life while trying to avoid arrows, Link and Zelda riding Epona to try and stop him while the Gorman Brothers were after them to give Sakon the time needed to escape.  
"We've got enemies on our six, behind us!" Link said, hearing the battle-cry.  
"I got them. I'll hold them off for us, you concentrate on catching up with that thief." Zelda said.  
"Understood." Link said with a smile, doing his best to keep up with Sakon, whom looked like he had gained wings with the speed he was running.  
Apparently that 'prancing' of his was merely a deceptive move of him to keep his condition up. Nevertheless, Link managed to keep up the pace, not pushing Epona too much because of added weight, but also to give Zelda the chance to aim properly to keep the Gorman Brothers at a distance. Zelda on her turn lended Link's Shield to deflect incoming strikes due to the pitchforks that the brothers wielded, with Link trying his best to aid her by making it hard for either one of the brothers to come in close enough for a strike.

At the same moment, Nabooru recovered as well, ignoring her bloody nose.  
"Where did he go?!" Nabooru asked.  
"If he's working with the Gorman Brothers, he'll likely be gone to their race track to seek their aid!" Cremia said.  
"Then there's no time to waste, I'm going after them." Nabooru said, mounting one of the nearby horses, taking Saria and Ruto with her, before letting the horse go in pursuit of the group, leaving Cremia to take care of her injured sister Romani.

Sakon was showing signs of getting tired, which allowed Link to take an arrow himself and shoot one in the direction of his legs after Zelda had taken another shot at one of the approaching Gorman Brothers, effectively making him back off. As they neared the other side of the track, to the entrance/exit area, Sakon decided to pull a tricky maneuver of his own. Lighting the fuse of a bomb he pilfered from the Bomb Shop a few days ago, he waited for a bit until he was at the exit area, before tossing it to the side amongst a group of bushes. The resulting explosion only destroyed the bushes, but the shockwave and the sound of the blast caused Epona to rear up on its hind legs in fright, effectively throwing both Link and Zelda off, causing the two to land on the ground, losing consciousness as their heads bashed against each other during their fall. Because of this, Sakon managed to get away while Epona rushed into Termina Field, while the Gorman Brothers were closing in to finish them. However, two well-aimed shots from the Slingshot, courtesy of Saria, caused the Gorman Brothers to back off, especially after one shot nailed one of the Gorman Brothers straight in the eye, blackening it in the process.  
"Oh no! Link and Zelda!" Saria said, seeing the unconscious duo lying next to each other.  
"You two stay with them, I'll get Epona back." Nabooru said as she let both Ruto and Saria dismount, after which she took off to retrieve Epona.

Saria went to check on the condition of the two.  
"They're unconscious, but alive. They don't appear to have any severe injuries, but they must have hit their heads against each other during their fall or landing." She said, using a bit of her powers to soothe the injured areas.  
"Dang, that Sakon guy really is rude." Ruto said annoyed, before moving to use her water abilities to put out the few small fires from the remains of the plants destroyed by the bomb.  
After making sure there was no lasting damage or anything that could make things worse, Saria and Ruto then carefully turned the bodies of Link and Zelda around to examine the other side for damage, just as Nabooru returned with Epona in tow. Ruto saw her coming.  
"Sakon got away, but he won't be coming back here anytime soon," Nabooru said, before looking at Link and Zelda, "how are they?"  
"They're unconscious for now, but they'll be fine; I haven't seen any permanent damage or something like that, maybe having gotten a concussion." Saria said.  
"Let's take them to the ranch to have them rest up for a while. It's much safer there." Nabooru said, taking Link and Zelda on her horse, while Saria and Ruto gently mounted Epona to head for the ranch again, where Cremia was waiting for them.  
"Good grief! What happened to them?" Cremia asked.  
"That coward Sakon used a bomb as a diversion, scaring Epona and throwing the two off of her in the process, knocking them out." Nabooru said.  
"We'd better treat their injuries and put them on a bed to their bodies can rest and heal up." Cremia said, opening the door, calling Romani to help her.


	6. Chapter 6: A shared dream

_Chapter 6: A shared dream_

The unconscious Link and Zelda were carried into their temporal bedroom by Nabooru and Cremia respectively, with the others following, being concerned.  
"They'll be fine, but I wonder how long it'll take before they wake up… it must have been quite a smack…" Saria said, sitting at Link's side of the bed.  
"Did that explosion did have anything to do with it?" Cremia asked.  
"It was definitely a bomb, which he must have thrown aside to create a diversion, scaring Epona in the process…" Nabooru said.  
"I have a feeling that we won't have seen Sakon for the last time. And both Link and Zelda are the people that won't forget so easily…" Ruto said.  
"What was he doing out here for anyway, trying to steal our precious milk?" Romani asked.  
"I have no idea. But knowing him, it may run deeper than that." Cremia replied.  
"Are you sure?" Nabooru asked.  
"Sakon has been quite the notorious thief around for some time. Thought to have left the land after the whole incident with the moon happened a year ago, but apparently returned here and continued his usual ways…" Cremia replied.  
"Where do you think he'll be hiding?" Saria asked.  
"I have no idea, probably only he knows where he's hiding…" Cremia said.  
"Or Link may know, since he told us that he has foiled Sakon twice before." Nabooru said.  
"But he's out cold, so we won't know it until he wakes up…" Ruto said.  
"And the same goes for Zelda too…" Saria said, sighing as she gazed down upon the unconscious duo.

Both Link and Zelda woke up at the same time, finding themselves in what appeared to be a black void.  
"L… Link?! What is this?! What happened?" Zelda asked.  
"I wish I knew… all I know was that a bomb exploded nearby, which caused Epona to rear up and throw us off. I believe that we must have hit our heads against each other that knocked us out." Link replied.  
"What?! Ooooh, that Sakon! If I would get my hands on him, I'll show him a thing or two!" Zelda said.  
"I second that." Link said, helping Zelda up, at which Zelda smiled.  
"But what are we doing in this black void?" Zelda asked.  
"I have no idea. Perhaps if we- what the-?!"  
Link couldn't finish his sentence as the scene apparently began to shift to what appeared to be the ruins of Hyrule Castle, whatever was around was either in flames or otherwise destroyed. The more shocking thing was that, instead of Ganon's Castle being nearby, it now seemed further away and looked more like a tower that rivaled the Stone Tower in height, with the dark clouds becoming even darker as it got near the center of the tower.  
"Great Goddesses!" Both Link and Zelda said, going wide-eyed at the mere size from this distance already.  
However, the shock of the two got only bigger when they noticed there was some bubbling sound in front of them. Looking down, they could see that it was like water… but instead of a blue/transparent color, this 'water' was a deep crimson red color, which obviously didn't look too good for one's health.  
"What in Hyrule is that?!" Zelda asked.  
Link bent down and carefully dipped his hand in the liquid, with Zelda doing the same out of similar curiosity, only for their look to turn into horror upon examining it.  
"Is this for real?!" Link asked.  
"It just looks like…" Zelda began.  
"BLOOD!" Both finished, recoiling from the edge.  
Zelda was frightened to the core, while Link was also horrified, although he did his best to retain and regain his composure.  
"But… how?!" Zelda asked.  
"My guess is a combination of magic that also involved the use of the corpses of the soldiers slain during the invasion." Link said.  
Zelda shuddered at the thought of it.  
"But how are we supposed to cross it like this?" She then asked.  
"We may need to use a boat or something; the water's probably too volatile to swim in." Link said.  
"Well now, why don't you try?" A sudden voice then said, startling the two.  
Looking behind them, both Link and Zelda came face to face with the one thing Link would rather not see again. Floating in the air was Majora in his Mask form.  
"My, my, Link… you sure have changed. You managed to defeat me and already you've hooked up with a girl of your age… and royalty at that too. HAHAHAHAHAAA! How exquisite!" Majora cackled.  
Link growled at this, while Zelda looked terrified.  
"What do you want?!" Link then snapped.  
"Oh, that is quite simple; you two dead at my feet, although Ganondorf has other plans for you it seems, so I'll settle for something else instead." Majora then said, before shaking the mask, making it rattle.  
"Ugh, not again?!" Link said, standing protectively in front of Zelda, only for a swirling portal to open up in front of them, which sucked the two children inside…

Saria, Nabooru and Ruto looked on in worry as both Link and Zelda began to show pained expressions, but not waking up.  
"What is happening to them?! They look like as if they're having a nightmare or otherwise under attack!" Ruto asked, worried.  
"Something must have been causing it… it's unlikely for them to have such pained expression unless something evil has been able to inflict something like this on them." Saria said.  
"But who could do this?!"  
"Definitely someone capable of invading one's subconsciousness or otherwise trying to curse them…" Nabooru said, deciding to let her own Spiritual powers come in place to find out what exactly has been causing it.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" A dark, gruff, male voice asked in a different place.  
"Consider it a reminder for them as to who they are dealing with." Another voice said, also male, but with a higher pitch in it, indicating madness or any other form of insanity.  
"Just make sure you don't kill them. I want those two alive."  
"Of course, I'm merely just 'roughening them up' a little."  
"Hm."

When Link and Zelda woke up, they found themselves in a cavern that was unlike any they have seen before. There were stone platforms to walk on, but the area itself had a river that seemed to be filled with bloody nettles with a bit of water at the top. Either way, falling into it would be very bad news. Looking up ahead, they could see walls like any generic wall seen in caverns, but parts of the path they were on were suspiciously looking a bit like a spinal column due to its shape, although this went unknown to them, fortunately. The youngsters quickly concluded that they were inside unknown territory. The only thing that gave them some form of relief was that they had their equipment with them. Getting up and readjusting their equipment, they got ready for what could be the scariest adventure so far since the Shadow Temple and their trip through Ikana. Link's face grew serious as he turned to the princess.  
"Zelda, I want you to stay close to me. This is unknown land and I would be devastated if I would lose you now." Link said.  
"A – alright. We'll watch each other's backs for this then." Zelda said, nodding as she regained her composure, gearing up properly before the two went on their way.  
The eerie, haunting sounds that served as part of the ambience around them didn't put them at ease however, it made the Shadow Temple by extension look much calmer in comparison. Zelda could see why Link wanted the two to stay close together at all times, it also allowed them to watch each other's backs in return.

Walking down the path, both realized they were coming dangerously close to the water, as the path remained just a couple of centimeters above it. Link already heard something crawling up ahead, spotting a slow moving slug-like creature that appeared to be on fire. Further ahead were a couple more of these same slug-like creatures.  
"Torch Slugs…" Link said as he grabbed his sword, while Zelda brought out her bow and an arrow.  
Making sure the slug didn't see them, Link and Zelda sneaked up behind it, with Zelda firing an arrow to extinguish the fire, allowing Link to finish it off with a Double Jump strike, killing it instantly.  
"That's one down." Link said.  
"Let's take care of the others." Zelda said, nodding.  
Carefully hopping over the platforms, both Link and Zelda managed to take out a total of three more Torch Slugs along the way, before climbing over a net against a wall, walking towards a path that appeared to be brittle.  
"That path doesn't look safe." Zelda said.  
"Well, there is only one thing left to do here. It looks like I'll have to carry you to the other side." Link said.  
Zelda blinked at this.  
"Are you certain of this?" She asked.  
"Trust me, I've done the same with Ruto when we both were inside Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly. Besides, I still have the Goron Bracelet with me, so this won't be a problem." Link said.  
"Alright, if you say so." Zelda said, putting her Bow away, while Link put away his sword and shield.  
"Alright. I apologize for this anyhow, but I think this is the best way." Link said as he picked Zelda up, holding her high in the air, similar as he had done with Ruto.  
Zelda yelped at this, but decided to take it for granted, due to her trusting Link. With this, Link then moved over the brittle path, feeling it shaking, but his courageous demeanor allowed him to remain focused and carry Zelda all the way over to the other side. Zelda did a double-take during this, having not expected Link to be this strong. Perhaps that Bracelet played a part in it, she mused, just as Link reached the other side of the area and gently set Zelda down, allowing her to get up. While at the edge of the tunnel they were standing in front of, Link readjusted the belt of his own outfit, while Zelda did the same with her own. However, Link suddenly froze as he heard something nearby.  
"What is it?" Zelda asked.  
"Shh," Link said, listening in closely, "you hear that?"  
Zelda also decided to listen closely, eventually hearing some kind of trotting sound.  
"It looks like something or someone is rolling their fingers on the ground… but the sound is unsettling…" Zelda said, before going wide-eyed, "do you mean that there's-"  
"-a Floormaster around, yes. There's one right up ahead in that tunnel area." Link said.  
Zelda gulped, having heard of the monsters that have been dwelling in the dungeons. Still, she geared up, ready to follow Link, whom felt that it was time to face and overcome their fears, as if this was a test, somehow…

Elsewhere, deep in the forest area, something was flying at a rapid pace along to Termina.  
_'It's been a long time since I've last seen him… I wonder what's been going on now… the Deku Tree Sprout said that he had gone this way…'_ were the being's thoughts as she flew along, unaware of what was happening right now…

Nabooru prepared herself as she gently laid her hands on the foreheads of still-unconscious Link and Zelda, focusing her Spiritual Powers to find out what is happening to them. Both Saria and Ruto were nervous, yet they remained silent, not wanting to break Nabooru's concentration as she closed her eyes, before her hands emitted an orange glow, preparing herself to look into her minds…

In the meantime, Link and Zelda prepared themselves, with Zelda striking the Floormaster with an arrow, while Link used his Super Spin attack to take out the miniature Floormasters.  
"Hm, that was way too easy." Link said, as Zelda went next to him.  
"You think that there is more?" She asked.  
"I'm certain of it, because I'm having a bad feeling about it." Link replied.  
"I can come in with that." She said, just as the two walked along.  
"I just wonder what Majora has in store for us… he wanted us dead, but it appears that he is at Ganondorf's command…" Link said.  
"Either that, or he has made a deal with him and he does what is necessary to keep his end of the bargain." Zelda said.  
"You have a point there, they don't have an alliance for no reason…" Link said, nodding.  
Just as they were about to turn a corner, they could hear a distinctive moaning sound. Both froze in an instant.  
"Oh no…" Link said, eyes widening.  
"…not them!" Zelda finished.  
Just then, a bone-chilling, petrifying scream sounded in the area, freezing both Link and Zelda in place as footsteps came from the corner… after which a ReDead showed its face. Zelda let out a shriek of fear as the monster loomed closer, just before Link's senses went in overdrive and, right before the ReDead could pounce on either of them, the paralysis wore off and Link slashed wildly at the ReDead with his sword, managing to defeat it, gripping the area of where his heart was after the ReDead was slain, just before Zelda grabbed his arm.  
"I… bloody… hate… those effing… ReDeads!" Link said between breaths.  
"I second that." Zelda said, as both tried to calm down, before proceeding to climb up a ladder, coming at the edge of what appeared to be a cliff, with a platform on the other side.  
Seeing no enemies present, Link decided to sit down for a bit to calm down, with Zelda moving next to him. Zelda noticed that Link was still trying to get himself together at this and placed a hand on his left shoulder, making him look at her, before smiling.  
"Thank you." Link said.  
"Anytime, Link. We're both in this together after all." She replied.  
Both then sighed deeply.  
"I have to tell you this, Link; consider your statements of Majora being insane and sadistic as confirmed. I've taken it to your word first time, knowing you wouldn't lie about it anyway, but now that I'm seeing it with my very own eyes, it's scaring me." Zelda said.  
Link nodded.  
"And the worst thing is, this is probably more of a mental battle than physical… perhaps our very lives depend on what's happening to us here…" Link said.  
"True, since the last thing I can recall is that bomb exploding nearby on Milk Road, followed by Epona rearing up and then our heads collided to each other's because of it…" Zelda said.  
Both sighed again, watching Floormasters patrolling on the other side of the river area, fortunately being out of their reach. They also noticed a few Green Bubbles floating around along the way, blocking their path ahead. However, the Green Bubbles appeared more docile than their Blue, Red and White counterparts, considering Green Bubbles remain either in place or patrol around in a specific area, the latter being observed by Link in the drained well of Kakariko Village.

_'__So Majora is behind this…'_ Nabooru thought as she had entered the minds of the two,_ 'now we know for sure what kind of a sadistic freak he is!'_  
"Are you alright, Nabooru?" Saria then asked as she saw a vein pulsing in Nabooru's forehead.  
"I'm fine, Saria. It's just that I think I've figured out what's happening to them." She said.  
"What's going on?" Ruto asked.  
"Someone has taken the minds, or rather the subconsciousness of the two captive, forcing them in a place with the scariest creatures that usually dwell in the more darker temples and dungeons…" Nabooru said.  
"What?! How?!" Saria asked.  
"Either a very skilled sorcerer, wizard or someone insane enough is capable of doing so."  
"Is there anything we can do?" Ruto asked.  
"I'm trying my best to find out where they are exactly… but I'm afraid I can't exactly pinpoint their location. I'll need your help into invading their minds and help them out, breaking the spell of the one whom has held them captive." Nabooru said.  
Saria and Ruto nodded, preparing to assist their friend and fellow Sage in this ordeal to help their other friends.

Link and Zelda both eventually prepared themselves and, using their Bow and Arrows, took out the Floormasters from a safer distance, although they had a good laugh together when they watched a few of the tiny Floormasters fall down the cliff into the murky water, never to be seen again. After taking care of the Green Bubbles as well, both children found a more safer path to the right that descended downwards to the large platform, that sported a hole in its center. Thinking that the hole was needed to progress, considering the rest of the area appeared as a dead-end, both Link and Zelda ventured to it, climbing down together. Once on the ground, they found that they had penetrated into a deeper part of the cavern, but what they saw unsettled them big time… the room ahead had a door on the other side, but this door looked like it was made out of gargantuan teeth due to its initial shape and the room itself was practically CRAWLING with Floormasters, with a few ReDeads in the far side corner. There were also two pedestals in front of the door, that obviously needed something to carry its weight. To the left was a path going up to what appeared to be another part of the area.  
"For some reason I'd rather stay in the Shadow Temple or the Bottom of Kakariko Village's Well than this." Link said.  
"I'd agree." Zelda said.  
Playing it safe by taking out the Floormasters that would be a direct threat to them on their way, Link and Zelda moved towards the cavern area to the left, keeping a close watch on the ReDeads as well as the remaining Floormasters that so far appeared to be minding their own business by patrolling around. Upon reaching the cavern area itself, Link and Zelda discovered it went in two different directions.  
"What should we do now?" Zelda asked.  
"I say we both handle the left side first, then do the right one once we're done. We may need each other more than ever on either side." Link said.  
Zelda nodded as the two ventured to the left side, entering a large room with only a few paths to walk on, but for the rest filled with the nettle-filled water. There were also a few Blue Bubbles around this time, whom were floating above the lake on their patrols. After hopping on the first platform, it proceeded to lift the two up towards a higher floor, where the rest of the path was, although broken in different segments, with a chest present on the far side of the room. On the safer path, they went to shoot the Blue Bubbles down using their arrows. Carefully hopping from platform to platform afterwards, both ventured to the chest, although startling as the more brittle parts of the path crumbled off, before moving to the chest to find out what's in it by opening it up.  
"What is this?" Link asked as he opened the chest with Zelda.  
"It looks like some kind of orb to me, but it doesn't appear to be a weapon or an item that we can use." Zelda said.  
"Wait, I think I saw a few pedestals out in the main room we were in before. You think this orb belongs there?"  
"It's worth a try." Zelda said.  
Both Link and Zelda carried the orb on a smaller platform, which then began to move away once the orb was put onto it, taking it towards the entrance of the cavern area.  
"Such devices surprise me every time." Link said, remembering how he came across moving platforms and traps while venturing in some of the temples he went in before.  
"The only thing that's left for us to do here is to get back to the main room safely." Zelda said.  
"Indeed, but I doubt it'll be easy, since getting that orb seemed as if it was meant for us to get it like this so quickly." Link said.  
"I see your point, so we should be ready for anything… and why is your shadow growing… or better yet, why is it merging with mine?" Zelda asked.  
Link and Zelda both looked down, seeing that their separate shadows had indeed become one and was growing… just as their eyes went wide and looked up quickly… the sound of a young boy and young girl screaming in utter terror in unison quickly resonated throughout the area as the one enemy feared most by any unsuspecting traveler has struck successfully, taking the both of them up into the air… the Wallmaster.

Nabooru, Saria and Ruto were definitely straining as they worked together to help their friends, which in turn worried Cremia and Romani. However, those two decided it would be best to leave them alone as to not break their concentration, hoping that whatever they were planning would eventually succeed. Little did they know that they would soon receive help from a different corner, as Nabooru's attempt to invoke her Sage powers did not went unnoticed by the other Sages after all…

Link and Zelda were unceremoniously dumped back at the entrance of the area with the Floormasters and the ReDeads, only to see the orb they had retrieved from the chest being transported into that same room. But that wasn't of their concern, as both still tried to get themselves back together. They didn't say anything, but it was evident that, while they held no single form of 'love' for the ReDeads and Floormasters, they hated the Wallmasters even more, regardless of this being somewhat 'convenient' so to speak as it did save them some backtracking along the way. In any case, they were lucky that they weren't taken back all the way to the beginning of the whole cavern area Majora had transported them into. Having regained their composure after a few minutes, both Link and Zelda went on their way again to tackle the other side of the cavern, discovering to their relief that the Floormasters they had slain before in the area did not reappear, and that the other path they decided to enter now had an area that went in a circle, from what they could see on first sight. Hopping on a platform that floated onward towards another path, Link and Zelda came across a set of Skulltulas that tried to block their path, only for the Skulltulas to be easily wasted thanks to several well-aimed arrows from both the princess and the hero in turn. As the two walked on, Link noticed his and Zelda's shadows had merged into one again, growing again. Without hesitation, Link hopped backwards, grabbing Zelda in the process and landing a few feet backwards on the path, in time to see another Wallmaster landing in front of them, this time having missed its targets. In retaliation, Zelda struck the offending Wallmaster with an arrow, after which Link struck the Wallmaster afterwards with his Gilded Sword for good measure, killing it. Link wanted to apologize to Zelda for his sudden action, but he was silenced before he could speak as the princess gave him a brief hug.  
"No need to apologize Link, you just did what you had to do in reflex." She said with a smile, causing Link to smile in kind as well.  
Moving onward to a set of small platforms, both Link and Zelda took out several Black Boes along the way, until they landed on a platform that lifted them up to a higher level, where they discovered another treasure chest, with a few smaller ones beside it. The first two small chests contained additional supplies of arrows and bombs, but the third small chest that was opened unleashed an icy breath like the Freezards used as their primary weapon, encasing the two children in a single block of ice for a few seconds or so, before the ice broke. The big chest they then opened contained a similar orb, which was now a more gold in color, which the two carried to the edge before tossing it to a lower path, the very path that was present when they first entered the area. Knowing that they could get back easier this time, both Link and Zelda leapt on a pathway leading down, only to come face to face with a Stalfos! Raising his Shield to block the incoming strikes, Link strafed towards the wall, while the Stalfos tried to circle around the two, only to step off the platform and fall into the murky water below. Both Link and Zelda blinked at this as they watched it happen, before shrugging and continuing on, hoping that this nightmare would soon be over.

Arriving back in the area with the Floormasters and the ReDeads, Link and Zelda carried the orb into the room and tossed it on the lower floor.  
"Now we need to clear the room a bit…" Link said.  
"Hey, I have an idea. If we can combine our magic powers a bit into a single spell, perhaps we can decimate most of them in a single blow." Zelda said.  
"You're speaking my language, Zelda," Link said with a smile, "I was thinking that if we use Din's Fire out here, perhaps it would give us some reprieve, knowing how effective it can be against a big group of enemies…"  
"Excellent idea. And if we combine our might with it, perhaps we can make it even stronger than before." Zelda said.  
"So, shall we give them the original recipe or make it extra crispy?" Link then said with a playful smirk.  
"We'll make it DOUBLE extra crispy for them." Zelda said, returning the smirk.  
Waiting for their chance, both Link and Zelda jumped into a spot that rendered them still out of the Floormasters' reach, having studied their patterns beforehand. Link then proceeded to launch his Din's Fire attack, but as he hit the ground to make the dome of fire appear, Zelda added her own fist to it, combining her magical prowess with Link's, for this moment increasing the power and the range of the fire dome itself that instantly burned down the regular Floormasters and ReDeads, its afterglow being still potent to incinerate the tiny Floormasters, except for one, whom was taken down by a sword swipe from Link once it got too close. Now they were free to put the orbs on the pedestals, still thinking it was the right thing to do. Sure enough, once both of the orbs were set on their respective pedestals, a rumbling sound was heard, after which the door itself began to open up. Both Link and Zelda sighed of relief at this, before moving on into the now opened room.  
"There's another hole out here." Zelda said upon entering it.  
"Indeed, it looks like we have to go through there in order to continue on… we should be nearing the end right now…" Link mused as both went down the hole, landing in a darker colored cavern, seemingly void of enemy presence…

Link and Zelda walked close together, looking around. They could feel their hearts racing in their chests as they walked along, unsettled by the silence…  
"There's no Like-Like nearby… is there?!" Zelda asked.  
"I hope not, otherwise we're both in trouble…" Link said.  
As the two walked on, towards a green path, they noticed a target close at the ceiling and fired an arrow at it, the target closed, opening a gate ahead, but it also released a bomb a few meters behind them, which soon exploded… causing something to dig up from the ground, approaching them with a crawling sound. As Link and Zelda both turned around, they came face to face with the LAST creature they wanted to see… characterized by the ghoulish white skin, the long neck, its elongated jaws and purple blotches all over the body… the Dead Hand! And it was aiming for them! Zelda screamed with fear, while Link got his sword ready to attack. Link managed to strike the Dead Hand to make it back off, eventually making it dig back underground again.  
"Oh dear Goddesses, that creature's disgusting!" Zelda exclaimed.  
"I share your thoughts on that, Zelda, but I feel certain that we'll have to fight it somewhere." Link said, shuddering as he prepared himself for the worst.  
Both Link and Zelda moved down the green path, noting that it was slippery as they soon found themselves sliding down the path, holding each other to ensure they wouldn't get separated or even worse as they worked together to steer into the right direction and not collide against anything. Eventually they arrived in what appeared to be a very large room with multiple platforms around, with each platform having disembodied hands around the edges, a trademark of letting people know a Dead Hand was nearby.  
"This is going to be very tough, I know it." Link said.  
"What can we do?" Zelda asked.  
"I have an idea though; We'll first disable these hands to lure him out and once all these hands are gone, we can switch to Bombs. I can use the Lens of Truth to locate his Shadow, and using a bomb on that spot we can lure him out." Link said.  
Zelda nodded.  
"I'll take care of the bombs for you, you can concentrate in giving him a 'facial makeover'." Zelda said.  
Link nodded, understanding what Zelda meant as he got ready.

At the same time, Sakon managed to reach his hideout in Ikana Valley, going inside and locking the door behind him, panting as he finally escaped from his pursuers and was glad that no one was after him now, that diversion having helped him a lot along the way. He now had the time to catch his breath, huffing against the now-closed door of his hideout.  
_'That's the THIRD time that kid has thwarted me! First by preventing me from stealing that Bomb Bag of that old bat, then retrieving that Sun's Mask for that stupid kid and now this! And on top of that, that brat has friends with him! If there is one thing that I hate, then it's being interrupted whenever I'm doing something! I'll get back at them somehow…'_ he thought as he went deeper into his hideout to brood, apparently the whole thing left him quite upset and he needed time to calm down, as well as needing to lay low for a bit until the proverbial storm has subsided. After a few minutes, he walked into the room where he stored some of the things he did manage to steal successfully.  
_'First I'll rest up a bit, then I'll see what I'll do to that brat and that girl whom traveled along with him on that red-painted, white-maned pony of theirs. Maybe that pony can offer a good price on the black market…'_ He thought as he walked along towards his living area.

Link and Zelda in the meantime had fought themselves a way on, slaying several Dead Hands and some Floormasters, ReDeads and so far two Wallmasters that tried to snag them, eventually arriving at the last part of the area.  
"Good grief, I thought this would never end!" Zelda said.  
"You took the words right out of my mouth. At least we know how those monsters fight." Link said.  
"That is true." Zelda said, before notifying Link of another group of ReDeads nearby.  
Link saw them too, and got ready to decimate them with another Din's Fire, just as the ground underneath Link and Zelda was swept up, causing both to lose their weapons out of their hands and reach as both fell on their backs to the ground… another Dead Hand had appeared. As Link and Zelda both recovered, they already could see the Dead Hand looming menacingly over them, as if it was trying to see what exactly it has caught. This in turn caused the two to hold each other close, with Link exposing his back as if he wanted to do what he could to still shield Zelda from the monster as it opened its jaws wide. Both Link and Zelda then closed their eyes at that moment, hoping the impending pain or tightness would be over soon… but what they were expecting to happen… did NOT happen! As they opened their eyes, they could see that the Dead Hand was somehow being held in place, still trying to swallow the two children whole, but finding itself unable to. Seizing the opportunity to crawl away, Link and Zelda then blinked as the Dead Hand's head was then pulled upwards, before it was abruptly separated from the main body, killing it. Both Link and Zelda were bewildered at this, looking at each other and then back at the now disintegrating corpse of the Dead Hand, as someone approached them.  
"Thank goodness I came in time. Young lad, dear Princess… are the both of you alright?" A female voice asked as the person stepped in the light.  
Both Link and Zelda were elated as they recognized the voice and the person right away, getting up along the way. Approaching them with concern on her face was an adult woman with an athletic appearance, having white hair, red eyes and garment that was only worn by the Sheikah, complete with its symbol; an eye with three pointed lashes atop, two curling on each side and a tear drop. It was Zelda's guardian and attendant, the Sage of Shadows… Impa!  
"Impa! I am definitely glad to see you!" Link said.  
"Thank the Goddesses, had you arrived a second later or so, we'd be writhing in that monster's gut together! How did you get here?" Zelda asked.  
"It wasn't easy though," Impa said, "I've only managed to reach you with some help, since I'm still stuck in the Chamber of the Sages with Darunia and Rauru. However, we do have the ability to still sense whenever any of us is invoking their Sage powers and can provide assistance through telepathic communication, similar to when the Sacred Realm has called out to us to awaken us as Sages when Ganondorf took over Hyrule back then. To make a long story short, it were Saria, Ruto and Nabooru whom tried to reach you first since Nabooru is the Spirit Sage, however their efforts weren't enough to penetrate deep in your subconsciousness, due to Majora. So they used telepathy to contact Rauru, Darunia and myself for assistance, which proved to be enough to send at least me to help you out."  
"Thank the Goddesses for this." Link said, feeling relieved.  
"I must say, young lad, I am very impressed with how you have been able to defend the princess and yourself during this as well as the princess returning the favor where needed." Impa said, smiling as she allowed the two children to hug her.  
"Such a touching scene…" a voice then said, causing the three to look up, seeing Majora's Mask floating there, "I didn't think you were able to pull through like this."  
"Majora…" Link growled.  
"Oh yes, it's me. Brought back by your old pal Ganondorf, he told me to say 'hi' to you; thanks to him, I've been able to reclaim the mask from that salesman and through that regain my power." Majora said  
"Why are you here, you fiend?!" Zelda asked.  
Majora cackled.  
"I thought it would be fun to see that monster having a two-course meal, but I underestimated the fact that your friends called for help in their own fashion. No matter, you all will meet your demise soon enough. Until then… cheerio." Majora said, before vanishing.  
"What the-?!" Impa said.  
"Leave it to Majora to be so random at times. Perhaps he still has some traces left from that Skull Kid after possessing him…" Link said.  
Zelda and Impa nodded at this.  
"Well, at least you have managed to overcome your fears to a degree, so it's time for you to wake up," Impa then said, pointing to an open doorway from which a bright light was shining through, "the others have been deeply worried about you."  
"Alright then. Through this we can also inform them of what has happened to us during this…" Link said, nodding.  
After watching Link and Zelda gathering their equipment and wandering into that bright light, the image of Impa faded, her task completed.

Nabooru, Saria and Ruto in the meantime woke up from their concentration as they heard Link and Zelda moaning. When looking at them, they could see the two stirring… and opening their eyes. They were finally awake.


	7. Chapter 7: Another cavern?

_Chapter 7: Another cavern?_

Nabooru, Saria and Ruto heaved a sigh of relief when they saw Link and Zelda finally waking up.  
"Thank goodness, you're awake!" Ruto exclaimed.  
"How long were we out?" Link asked.  
"Almost a day for sure, we were so worried." Saria said, hugging Link.  
"A day?" Zelda asked, blinking before she noticed it was once again dusk as the sun was setting outside.  
"Wow…" Link said as he returned the hug Saria gave him.  
"What exactly happened to you? We tried to find you earlier in your subconsciousness, but Majora's magic prevented us from pinpointing your location…" Nabooru said.  
"It turned out that Majora wanted to try and make us face our worst fears or nightmares by pitting us in a cavern with the monsters we hate the most." Link said.  
"We were saved by Impa in the nick of time; one Dead Hand almost succeeded in eating us." Zelda said, shuddering.  
Saria and Ruto blinked at this, while Nabooru herself shuddered.  
"What else did you see?" Ruto asked.  
"Well, despite the area being dark, we saw plenty of ReDeads, Floormasters and Wallmasters. On top of that, we also first had a vision of that could be their new fortress, or it could be an exaggerated view, I don't really know." Link said.  
"Oh? How was it like?" Saria asked.  
"Well, that fortress rivals the Stone Tower in height, but due to it being set at a greater distance away from where Hyrule Castle originally stood, we couldn't pinpoint its exact size, but we expect it to be frigging HUGE." Link said.  
"On top of that, that castle is now separated from the mainland area by what we believe is a lake filled with blood. It was incredibly nasty!" Zelda said.  
"In a way it sounds logical for them to have it though, Majora has always been a sick bastard, so he could very well have made that lake." Link said.  
"Is it that bad?" Ruto asked.  
"Well, we are not exactly sure if this is true, but if it is, it will make Ikana Canyon look much more pleasant, despite being actively haunted by the dead. And where Zelda and I have traveled through makes the Bottom of the Kakariko Village's well and the Shadow Temple combined a much more pleasant place to hang around, if you get what I mean." Link replied.  
"Oh dear…" Saria said, shuddering.  
"In any case, Sakon did this to us, so it's evident that we will have a score to settle with that coward." Zelda said.  
"How is Epona?" Link asked.  
"She's still slightly shaken up, but recovering. That blast also made her run off into Termina Field. I had to use Epona's Song in order to lure her back to the ranch, while Saria and Ruto treated your injuries." Nabooru said.  
"Nothing serious I hope?" Zelda asked.  
"Just a heavy concussion from having hit your head against each other, but if you'll just take it easy for a few hours, you'll be back in action before you know it." Cremia said as she came in, overhearing the last bits of the conversation, carrying a tray with cups containing warm milk.  
Entering the room as well was Romani, whom also wanted to check up on her friend.  
"Hey, 'Grasshopper'." Romani said.  
Link chuckled at this, as did the others around him.  
"Hey Romani. Still working on your archery skills I presume?" Link asked.  
"Yep. Romani's a lot better now." Romani said with pride, while Link nodded with a smile.  
"I honestly have never heard of this Majora character… I overheard you talking about him…" Cremia then said, seeing that Ruto and Saria kept Romani occupied, not wanting to disturb the younger sister of the pair.  
"Well, I haven't heard much about Majora himself, except that the eponymous mask of his contained a vast, evil power that was used in hexing rituals, but when the uses began to fear its power became too great to control, they sealed the mask away for a long time… until that Happy Mask Salesman came across it. He in turn was attacked by the Skull Kid, whom sadly enough didn't know any better, and partially because of his own misery, he fell under the influence of Majora's Mask, leading the Mask to use the Skull Kid as a vessel for his actions, the main one being to drop the moon down on Clock Town at the Eve of Carnival." Link said, recalling his own experience with the mask.  
"So the Skull Kid was in effect innocent since instead of him controlling the mask, the mask was controlling him, right?" Zelda asked.  
"That's right. And due to the Skull Kid's own misery, Majora's Mask practically took over this mindset and memories, leading to the demented state he was in all the time." Link said.  
"So Majora did all this to Termina…" Cremia said, shuddering.  
"Yes, and now that he has formed an alliance with our own arch nemesis, a dark lord named Ganondorf…" Link said.  
Zelda shuddered visibly, obviously terrified at what has yet to come. Link put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, much was like she did with him back in their trip on the subconscious level. Zelda smiled at this, mouthing a silent 'thank you' to Link, to which he responded with a smile and a nod.  
"You think they'll try to do something to Termina again?" Cremia then asked.  
"Well, their primary objective is to have me and my dearest friends removed from the equation since they know that we have the power to stop them. However, by separating us into two groups and trapping three of us somewhere else and sending us all the way here, we're forced to travel all the way back to Hyrule before we can try to save the others and in turn find a way to properly fight them. Which is why we're trying to get stronger ourselves along the way." Link said, to which the others nodded, confirming his story.  
"Wow, looks like you've got quite some work ahead for you." Cremia said.  
"We have indeed. It won't be easy at all, but I feel certain that we'll pull through." Link said.  
"Your courage keeps surprising me." Zelda said, smiling.  
"For now, you two should rest for a bit more to ensure a full recovery," Nabooru said, "we'll keep watch to ensure no outsider tries anything funny."  
"Thank you." Both Link and Zelda said in unison, causing them and the others to giggle at how it sounded.

In the meantime, Sakon was still brooding, not paying attention to the items he had stolen before. While he did manage to prevent capture, to say that he was quite annoyed was an understatement. It was after all the THIRD time that the boy in green managed to foil his plans, this time having friends with him. He would need to find a way to get rid of those meddling kids if he wanted them not to interfere in his business anymore, but the question was more as to how he would do that. Perhaps he could use some outside help for this one, this time not from the Gorman Brothers or anyone else wanting to pay him to steal whatever goods they have for money, but perhaps he needed to look in a different direction. Sakon grinned as he had an idea, which he would execute after a bit of a rest…

Ganondorf and Majora in the meantime have been working together to finish up their fortress and spreading their influence out once more over Hyrule and inching closer to Termina. So far, only the Gerudo Fortress, the Kokiri Forest, Goron City, Lon Lon Ranch and Zora's Domain have remained free of their influence, but this was also partially due to the two evil beings focusing more on reinforcing their primary stronghold, while scouting areas in the woods between Hyrule and Termina to find suitable places to set up outposts that would in turn become a form of supply center for the troops whom were going to be sent into Termina itself, at which the hunt for the missing people, but Link and Zelda in particular, would begin. It was as if the King of Evil was taking his sweet time with spreading his influence, instead preferring to oversee the task of reinforcing existing defenses and build new ones. The renewed occupation of both the Shadow Temple and the bottom of Kakariko Village's Well served as the first outposts that served as a major supplier for Ganondorf's more undead forces, the village being mostly abandoned now that the villages have sought a safe haven elsewhere, primarily due to Death Mountain posing a serious threat to them in the first place. All in all, it was a dark era for Hyrule, something that would take some time to recover from… if the crisis would be ever resolved that is…

During the night, Link laid in bed, still being awake. Having carefully propped his hands behind his head, he stared at the ceiling and sighed, the only light shining in the room being from the moon and stars, whom were fortunately high in the sky, where they belonged. Truth be told, he did have some nightmares the few days after his return to Hyrule after defeating Majora, in particular where he was dozing off for a bit, finding himself playing with his friends, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru among them, before the group would witness the moon crashing on Clock Town, incinerating them all in the following shockwave of destruction. Luckily, those nightmares stopped for a long time now, the support of his friends have helped him greatly on that note, but now Link felt as if other nightmares or even sleepless nights were on the rise again, knowing that those were only a forecast of things that had yet to come. Hearing some soft whimpering, Link looked to the left, seeing Zelda sleeping next to him, although she as apparently having a nightmare, something he noticed from her shivering and the occasional tossing a little. Seeing her getting more uncomfortable, Link decided to wake Zelda up.  
"Hey Zelda, are you alright?" He whispered as Zelda shot up with a gasp after he gently touched her arm.  
Looking around frantically, she saw that she was in the guest bedroom, sighing of relief afterwards.  
"Zel?" Link then asked.  
That got her attention as she turned to her right, seeing Link looking at her with concern on his face.  
"Oh, dear Goddesses, I just had a terrible dream." Zelda said, shuddering as Link put an arm around her, causing Zelda to relax a little.  
"I take it was about that 'adventure' we had while we were unconscious?" Link asked, guessing what has caused it.  
"Yes, it was simply where that Dead Hand succeeded in swallowing the both of us whole, or a ReDead ending us…" Zelda said, shuddering as she sought comfort.  
Usually her attendant Impa would provide the comfort needed in the times of where Zelda has her nightmares, especially when she had the prophecy of Ganondorf attempting to take over Hyrule, symbolized as the dark clouds, but now that they were separated, Link did his best to fulfill the role of providing comfort to the distraught princess, something which she herself appreciated.  
"Good thing Impa saved us back there. I'm only curious how she was able to reach us." Link said.  
"Well, the Seven Sages can call each other using the connection they have with each other and the Hero of Time, usually this contact can be done telepathically in times of emergency, when one of the Sages requests the aid of the others." Zelda said.  
Link nodded.  
"The Sacred Realm did call out to them after all, so it sounds logical that this connection is present ever since they were awakened." He said, to which Zelda nodded in confirmation.  
Both Link and Zelda sighed, remaining silent for a while.  
"What are we going to do tomorrow? I mean, our blades are still being worked on, except for yours…" Zelda said.  
"I was thinking to venture further into Snowhead to either get some training exercise in or otherwise explore the area as a whole again. Now that spring has come back there, there could be some things present which I have not seen before during my first stay here." Link said.  
"Just trying to get your mind elsewhere than recent events, huh?" Zelda asked with a smile.  
"Heh, I can keep brooding in regards to my traumatic experiences in the past with all the monsters and everything, but that would do me much more harm; our nemeses may exploit this and it could lead all of us in mortal danger anyhow." Link said.  
"That makes sense." Zelda said.  
"We should rest up as much as we can. The sooner we're on our feet, the better." Link said, making Zelda nod again.  
Both then dozed off together, this time no nightmares came to bother them.

The next day, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru went on their way again, thanking Romani and Cremia for their kindness and care, making the two sisters smile, with Cremia giving the group a new horse to travel with next to Epona, as promised, waving a good-bye before the group left. From a local Business Scrub in the Southern Swamp, the group obtained some magic beans, while Nabooru has bought a few Bombchus from the Bomb Shop in Clock Town to use as a new item. The group was aware that horses couldn't go just anywhere due to some geographical conditions of both Hyrule and Termina, but nevertheless did save a huge amount of travel time overall as it did travel faster than going on foot. Carefully moving the horses to the north to let them enter the Road to Snowhead, the group let the horses rest in a more grassy area of the path, before dismounting and moving along on foot. From what they could see in regards to the smoke bellowing from the Mountain Smith's chimney indicated that they were still busy, given the promise that the swords would be done in a couple of hours upon inquiring the progress of the business by Zubora. Satisfied, the group went onward in the direction of the Snowhead Temple.

While on their way, Link blinked as he spotted several makeshift bridges having been laid out along the path to fill the gaps and he also spotted a second cavern in a mountain wall to his right, which he had not seen before. On top of that, the giant snowballs that could provide a hazard during his trip were also absent, but he mused that this was because of spring.  
"This is weird; I haven't seen this cave before. On top of that, I don't recognize the bridges laid over the abysses which only allowed me in Goron body to cross over harmlessly." Link said, scratching his head.  
"Hmmm, this looks like another hidden cavern, perhaps the time spent in the sun during Spring and Summer must have melted the ice and exposed the cave…" Zelda said.  
"Possibly, but that still makes no sense to me; it wasn't here the last time I visited. Something must have excavated this cavern rather rapidly in the time that I went back to see you lot in Hyrule…" Link said.  
"Well, a lot of things can happen over time…" Saria said.  
"That's true, I must be getting paranoid." Link said.  
"I suggest we investigate anyhow. Who knows it could offer us some clues as to what has happened. Besides, the cavern in Ikana Canyon we have been dumped in by Majora also seemed out of place to me.  
"I agree." Link said, nodding.  
"Anything that can help us to counter this new threat of old enemies can be of use after all." Ruto reasoned.  
"So I think it's settled, let's go and investigate." Zelda said, the group used one of the newly-laid bridges to reach the cave and entering it...

As the five enter the cavern, they enter an area which is lit by several torches here and there, but is overall dark, warm and moist... there was an eerie sound that was probably caused by the atmosphere, while on occasion the sound of water drops falling on the ground were heard.  
"This area's having a musty smell over here, geez." Ruto said, just as Link slashed a total of three Withered Deku Babas, obtaining a Deku Stick each time from their remains.  
"That was easy." Link said, lighting up one Deku Stick on a nearby torch.  
"There are plenty of rooms up ahead, but it's quite dark..." Saria said.  
"Let's see what we can find here, perhaps we can use the Deku Sticks for as long as they can last…" Link said.  
"Alright, let's go." Zelda said.  
The group moves on across the hallway carefully, looking around the place with care, seeing numerous discarded rubble here and there as well as some crates, only to get startled when the lit Deku Stick brushes against something at the entrance of one of the rooms they wanted to investigate. Looking in that direction, the burning fragments of nature's oldest catching net were visible before vanishing.  
"One of these days those frigging webs will give me a heart attack!" Link said as he gripped his chest to calm his heart down.  
"I second that." Zelda said, sighing of relief.  
As they explored the room, they heard the evident metallic scraping noise left behind by a Gold Skulltula. Using her fins, Ruto easily defeated it and collected its token.  
"Looks like the Skulltulas must have taken this place over once the creators of this cave have left." Saria mused.  
"That sounds like it. Perhaps this must have become some kind of spider house like the ones I've seen back in the Swamp and Great Bay areas, although the Great Bay area's too had webs around." Link said.  
Gathering whatever items they could find on arrows and bombs, the group moved back towards the main hallway, moving on. As they ventured on, they came across another dark room. Thankfully, this one was not blocked by a spider web, but it did contain several regular Skulltulas. Link and Zelda easily dealt with them using one shot each of their respective bows, decimating the six Skulltulas total, while Ruto and Saria demolished several Black Boes that tried to be a bother.

Upon moving into the third room however, its door instantly closed shut using iron bars, indicating that the group had run into a trap!  
"What the-?!" Link asked, blinking as he looked at the bars, while Zelda looked on ahead, seeing a few mummified beings standing in the room. Instantly Zelda recognized them as relatives of the ReDead!  
"Gibdos?! What are THEY doing here in a place like this?!" Zelda exclaimed, getting ready to cast Din's Fire to deal with them.  
"They must have been here for some time then, although they do seem out of place…" Link said as he got out his sword, getting ready to attack. Nabooru used a Deku Nut to stun the Gibdos, allowing Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto to slay the mummified beasts with any of their convenient attacks, with Ruto and Saria helping with stunning. Once the Gibdos were taken care of, the iron bars lifted, unlocking the door in the process.  
"I think we should get in more firepower in if we are to face our worst enemies quicker." Saria said, while Link opened a big chest he discovered.  
"Well, you're getting your wish to a degree; I found the Fire Arrows here. And there's a couple of smaller chests around here too, perhaps they may contain ammo." Link said, handing a set of Fire Arrows to Zelda while he kept the rest.  
As the others opened the smaller chests, they discovered some additional Deku Seeds, Deku Nuts and Deku Sticks as well as another bundle of arrows.  
"We can still use the Deku Sticks, right?" Saria then asked.  
"Of course. Zelda and I would still need them if we run out of magic power or arrows for that matter." Link said, nodding as he and Zelda both decide to switch to the newly acquired Fire Arrows on their bows, allowing them to burn things that could not be reached by either a Deku Stick or is out of the reach of Din's Fire.

After returning to the hallway, Link and Zelda then nodded to each other, before firing one Fire Arrow each through the hallway... with effect, as two giant webs blocking the door ahead were immediately burned away.  
"Whoa." Saria said, impressed.  
"I have a feeling we'll be needing those Fire Arrows more anytime soon. They've been quite useful in the Snowhead Temple…" Link commented.  
Moving on to the next room, Link and Zelda used their Fire Arrows once more to burn two webs at the ceiling, while Saria and Ruto used a Deku Stick to burn a few hanging at ground level, releasing a few crates and exposing a total of two more Gold Skulltulas to the group, which were defeated by Nabooru and in turn collected their tokens collected.  
"I wonder what these tokens are for." Nabooru said.  
"From my experience, each token is linked to someone being inflicted with the curse of the spider, caused by greed. Each of these gold colored spiders destroyed and its token collected weakens the curse in succession until after a certain amount is enough to have that curse fully lifted." Link replied.  
"Ah, I understand." Nabooru said, nodding as the group went on, moving on to the next hallway and venturing down a stairway, filled with crawling sounds of Skulltulas. Using a Deku Nut, Ruto disabled a group of three Skullwalltulas, while stunning a regular Skulltula, whom was shot at by Saria using her Slingshot. Taking Damage, the Skulltula tried to block the group again, but a second shot against its weak abdomen made it fall to the ground. Ruto then used a Deku Stick to burn several webs on ground level, while Link and Zelda burned four more webs which were at a higher level using their Fire Arrows.  
"I believe spring has gotten into our heads with this kind of cleaning action." Link said.  
"I'll say. I'm surprised the burning remnants of the webs aren't setting other things on fire…" Saria said.  
"Don't jinx it, Saria, but if it does happen, I can extinguish the fires…" Princess Ruto said, smiling.

As the group went into the next room, they noticed that lower parts of the cavern had a large puddle of water, with steam coming off of it. Gently touching it, Link discovered that the water itself was pleasantly warm.  
"This must be Hot Spring Water; it's the only explanation to this water being so nice and warm." Link said, blinking.  
"That's interesting." Zelda said, while Ruto went in the water herself, standing next to Link.  
"Check out those five silver eye switches close to the ceiling… is this another puzzle?" Saria asked.  
"Possibly, or some kind of security system that requires us to find the correct one to progress." Link said.  
"You think we may have stumbled on another hideout by accident?" Zelda asked as she got a regular arrow out.  
"I consider that a decent possibility, but I still am uncertain why someone would actually make and settle in an environment such as this." Link said, waiting as Zelda took aim at the left most switch.  
The eye closed upon being hit, but there was nothing happening... until Link heard the eerie sound of something approaching from above. Spotting his shadow merging with the group as they stood close together, Link instantly went wide-eyed.  
"JUMP ASIDE! WALLMASTER INCOMING!" Link suddenly shouted, startling the group and spreading out in a star-like pattern. Just as Nabooru wanted to see why Link shouted, the disembodied hand known as the fearsome Wallmaster came down in the middle of the group, catching nothing. Link instantly responded by slashing the hand with his blade, instantly killing it, leaving Saria to collect the two blue and the one red rupee which the creature left behind.  
"KYA! What in the name of the goddesses was THAT?!" Saria exclaimed.  
"That was a Wallmaster, capable of taking us back to the entrance of the dungeon we were in." Link said.  
"How did you know about this?" Nabooru asked.  
"When you have had multiple experiences and encounters with it, you'll know its approach when you hear it. I've seen them in the Forest, Shadow and Spirit Temples, the Kakariko Well, Ganon's Tower, the Ikana Well and the Gerudo Training Ground. On top of that, Zelda and I were actually caught by one during our subconscious adventure." Link said, both he and Zelda shuddering at the memory of that.

As they venture in the next room, they are shocked to see the door shutting with again locking itself with the Iron Bars, but as they looked forward, they were horrified to find one of the LAST enemies they wanted to encounter... standing in the center of the room stood a behemoth of a knight, just a bit taller than Nabooru is, being heavily armored and wielding a double-sided axe that could cleave through nearly anything… the Iron Knuckle! The sight of it alone was enough for the group to utter two words, which were more than enough to describe the magnitude of trouble they were in.  
"Oh crap!"

Despite the Iron Knuckle being still as a statue now, the group could see that there was no way out of this. Link however regained his composure rapidly.  
"It appears we don't have a choice in fighting this behemoth, but we have the advantage of being in numbers, so we should be able to defeat him together." Link said, drawing his sword.  
"Right. However, we should not get in each other's way or harm each other with our own weapons, so caution is required too." Zelda said, nodding.  
Nabooru then grabbed something from the bag she had with her… a Bombchu. Activating it, she circled a bit around the Iron Knuckle until behind him, before unleashing the Bombchu, which exploded on contact with the Iron Knuckle. Instantly the Iron Knuckle was disturbed from his slumber and began to move towards Nabooru, although it walked slow due to its heavy armor. This in turn allowed Zelda to strike it with a few arrows and a bomb, while Ruto used her Sage powers to summon Water Spouts from underneath it. Saria on her turn attempted to summon vines to constrict the Iron Knuckle's movements, while Link resorted to jump attacking it from behind. Nabooru on her turn used another Bombchu, using the explosions to inflict as much damage as possible. For a moment, the battle went on in favor of the five… until another explosion from one of the bombs Zelda threw destroyed the Iron Knuckle's outer armor… in rage, the Iron Knuckle swung his huge axe around to cut the vines constricting him, now aiming for Saria. The Forest Sage on her turn tried to get away to get some distance in to renew her attack, but the Iron Knuckle's movements made it much harder. Nabooru aided her by tackling him with two more Bombchus, while Zelda pelted it with two Fire Arrows. Ruto swung her Boomerang Fins in an attempt to stun it, allowing Link to get another strike in on his turn. Saria tripped over her own feet while dodging a mad swing of the axe, causing her to stumble to the ground. She got up quickly thanks to Zelda, but spotted the Iron Knuckle charging at them. It was then that they were pushed aside by Link, who then turned around in time to receive, but not in time to dodge, an incoming axe strike. The girls all heard then Link's agonizing howl as one swing managed to cut across his torso diagonally, sending him flying across the room and causing him to drop his sword and shield in turn. The cut wasn't deep to hit any vital parts, but was still enough to bleed. Horrified, Nabooru went over to check on him, only to hear Saria screaming as a second swing hit her in the back, knocking her against the wall close to where Link was. In retaliation, Ruto attempted to strike at the Iron Knuckle from above with an Ice-punch, but the Iron Knuckle clocked her and swung his axe at her, striking Ruto across the chest and nearly severing her right arm in the process, the momentum of his second swing struck Nabooru in her right leg, causing her to let out a shriek of agony. On her turn, Zelda grabbed the sword and shield that Link had dropped and attempted to strike at the Iron Knuckle, only to receive a slice across her chest as well, only for Ruto and Nabooru to toss a few more bombs at the behemoth, the final explosions finally ending it as the Iron Knuckle collapsed, before disintegrating in sheets of blue flame until it was completely gone, not a single trace left.

While the group had defeated the Iron Knuckle, they were unable to celebrate properly as they did suffer some serious injuries. Nabooru was limping to the children, Ruto at her side whom was clutching her right arm. Saria was crying due to the slash wound on her back, while both Link and Zelda had a slash wound on their front areas, having ripped their current outfits or otherwise stained with their blood. But so far, each of them was alive. Nabooru then helped out by stitching and bandaging the wounds for as good as bad as it could be done with whatever she took with her on medical supplies that Cremia had given to her, ensuring that the group would still pull through.  
"Owww… " Saria said, whimpering as Nabooru tended to her wounds.  
"Shhh, relax Saria." Nabooru said in a soothing voice, almost like a mother calming their child.  
"Link?" Zelda asked, seeing Link trying to get up.  
"I… I'm okay, it's not as bad as it looks," He said, wincing yet able to stand, "how are you holding up?"  
"About the same as yours…" Zelda said as Link gently helped her getting up.  
"Now what do we do? We can't go out like this!" Ruto said, although wincing again.  
"There's a Great Fairy living… at the side of the tower containing the Snowhead Temple. She'll fix us up for sure." Link said, smiling.  
"How far is she away from us?" Nabooru asked.  
"We just need to… go further north, following the trail to the Snowhead Temple. Once there, we'll go through the right to see a cavern inside the large wall. She lives there." Link said, seeing Nabooru was done with patching Saria up, moving now to nurse Ruto's arm.  
Link and Zelda both tried to help Saria up.  
"I'll carry you if you want…" Link said to Saria.  
"Th… th…thank you…" She replied, as Zelda helped Saria on Link's back.  
"Zelda, you can borrow my sword and shield for the moment until we've reached the Great Fairy of Wisdom, Ruto, you can try out my Bow and Arrows." Link said.  
Zelda and Ruto both smiled at this and accepted it, ready to help out Link and Saria while Nabooru also got ready to continue, despite limping due to her leg injury.

Zelda tossed a bomb towards a fake wall, which broke apart with a loud explosion. This revealed a new door, which the group forced themselves to go through. The room ahead seemed empty, but there was a hallway going through. After stepping through, they came across a very different room.  
"Weird, this looks like some kind of office room like I've seen in the Mayor's office back in Clock Town…" Link said.  
"But this place is a mess; check out all the rubble here!" Zelda said.  
"I can see different sheets of paper around here, there are things written on it…" Nabooru said.  
"What does it say?" Ruto asked.  
"I don't know for sure, but it could be like plans or something, which I strongly doubt are from Ganondorf or Majora as a whole." She replied.  
"That leaves a bit of a conflict; we don't know what their plans are, nor if they're going to interfere with ours…" Link said, whom felt Saria holding him closer, not wanting to fall off of him.  
"True, should we take the plans with us so we can study them under better conditions?" Zelda asked.  
"That's only for the best. We need to get our injuries healed too." Link said, nodding.  
"Right, we should get going then."  
"But how do we get out of here?" Ruto asked.  
"I'm seeing a door to our left. Perhaps that will lead to the way out." Nabooru said.  
"It's worth a shot. Just watch our backs, please." Link said.  
"Don't worry, we will." Zelda said as the group went on their way.

Walking through the opened door, they soon came across the exit after walking through what appeared to be a tunnel... which was quite high in the mountain as they got out, standing on a platform close to one of the newer bridges. Walking down the bridge, the group went back onto the Road to Snowhead, according to the directions Link gave them. Walking along the way, the group remained unbothered by enemies, although Princess Ruto did take down a Guay or two for being an annoyance as they came too close for comfort.  
"Hang in there, Saria, once we'll reach the Great Fairy of Wisdom, we all will be fixed up." Link said to his childhood friend in a soothing voice, feeling her whimpering as she was still on his back being carried by him.  
She did give a signal of that she understood, but the pain from her injury didn't allow her to speak properly. Then again, having the spinal column nearly cleaved in two isn't something to recover from so easily, this Link knew for sure, especially considering what he has gone through over the past year or so. And even though Link was being bothered by the injury he received on his chest, he still showed the determination to move on and reach their goals, regardless of what it would take. This also showed the dedication he had in wanting to have their lives saved and furthermore wanting to stay alive long enough to beat both Ganondorf and Majora.  
"I have a distinct feeling that what happened just then was just the tip of the iceberg of what has yet to come. After this, we'll need a vacation." Link then said.  
"I couldn't agree with you more." Zelda said.  
After a few minutes, the group carefully climbed up the steep hill leading to the structure that led to the Snowhead Temple, where Zelda took care of a single Wolfos that tried to stop them.  
"Where to now?" Nabooru asked.  
"We'll head to the right, otherwise it's the path headed for the Snowhead Temple itself. The cavern containing the Great Fairy's fountain can be found there…" Link said, leading the way for the rest.

Upon arriving in the cavern, the group could see the fountain up ahead. Although they managed to get into the cavern safely, their injuries began to take their toll on them. Despite her best efforts, the bandages that Nabooru had placed were now beginning to color a crimson red from the blood seeping out through the wounds.  
"Looks like we… we've made it…" Link said, feeling his legs buckling.  
Saria just let out a painful moan, feeling herself getting weaker, while Zelda weakly smiled.  
"We… did it indeed." She said, nodding.  
The five struggled to get close to the Fairy's Fountain, but before they could get close enough, Link finally collapsed with Saria on top of him, causing the both of them to grunt. Several second later, the pain in her chest made Zelda unable to continue any longer, leaving Nabooru and Ruto to summon the Great Fairy. As the two did so, the Great Fairy appeared right away, the simple approach allowing the summoning.  
"Oh dear! What happened to you?!" The Great Fairy of Wisdom asked as she laid her gaze on the wounded quintet.  
"We had to fight one of those Iron Knuckles in an area we were exploring. We won, although he nailed us quite hard." Princess Ruto, forcing a smile despite the pain.  
The Great Fairy nodded.  
"Speak no further and relax. I will soothe your weariness." She said, before spreading her arms as a green aura appeared around the five.  
In a matter of seconds, the group could feel the pain washing away like it was nothing, while their injuries were closing up, everything resetting as if nothing happened to them. This process took only about a minute or two due to it being a delicate process, but in the end the five were back on their feet as if nothing had happened to them.  
"Oh wow! I feel a lot better than I did before!" Link said as he and Saria stood up, stretching.  
"I'll say, it's as if I have never been hit at all!" Saria herself said, smiling as she saw Ruto flexing her healed right arm, Nabooru was rubbing her right thigh with a smile, and Zelda also felt relief. The only thing that didn't exactly heal were their clothes as they still sported the battle damage as well as being soiled from before, but they took it for granted. All's better than nothing after all. The Great Fairy herself smiled at the now rejuvenated group, whom felt relieved at the sights of being completely healed.  
"At least that's behind us now." Nabooru said.  
"True. Hopefully this won't happen again anytime soon; we need our strength to fight our true enemies after all." Ruto said.  
"Indeed, but we still have no idea what they are capable of now…" Saria said.  
"Perhaps we should look around and prepare ourselves to get to the others in time. We need to power them up as well if we are to stand a chance against them." Link said.  
"True that. Hopefully we'll get the chance to get to Darunia, Rauru and Impa without much interference…" Zelda said, knowing that the trip ahead will be dangerous.  
"So it would be best to first gear up and get as much supplies as we can take with us: Food, drinks and ammunition. It's better to be safe than sorry." Link said.  
"Right. We should also get some food for the horses too; they'll be in for quite a trip." Zelda added.  
"True." Link said.  
"I take it the five of you are on quite a mission?" The Great Fairy inquired, raising an eyebrow.  
"That we are; about a week ago, Ganondorf, the King of Evil whom we had sealed into the Evil Realm not too long ago for threatening to take over Hyrule and all, has returned and is in an alliance with another malevolent being known as Majora. We need to get the three remaining Sages whom are trapped in the Chamber of the Sages after the destruction of the Temple of Time and find a way to defeat those two before the whole world suffers because of them." Zelda said.  
"I see. The name Majora does sound familiar; he was in the shape of a masked imp when I confronted him and he shattered my body into Stray Fairies back then… I strongly recommend to seek out my fellow Great Fairies who will certainly aid you in this new quest. They should be able to give you what you need to counter the threat they pose." The Great Fairy said.  
"Thank you." Zelda said as the group went on their way.  
With their wounds healed and their stamina refreshed, the group thanked the Great Fairy for her service, before leaving the cavern and moving out of Snowhead, going back all the way down the mountain. Even though the trip was long, they took it for granted as they saw it also as a workout. Couple that with the children having some fun in the safer part of the mountain, allowing them to burn some of the energy they had to spend, before arriving at the Mountain Smith's home again, enjoying the scenery of green grass and flowers growing in the area. They decided to make the best of it, now that they were on quite a mission.


	8. Chapter 8: To a different land

_Chapter 8: To a different land_

Upon arriving back in the Mountain Smith's house, they were elated to see their swords being completely reforged into Gilded blades, just like Link's. As a bonus, whatever was corroded was removed and replaced with fresh, new material which improved the quality of the swords in general as well. It was there that Ruto also received a Gilded blade of her own, shaped like an adult Zora fin to add in some familiarity to it, making it a personalized blade for Ruto. Zelda was highly amused at seeing Ruto becoming a bit shy at first, before glomping Link in gratitude. The others hugged Link as well, although a bit gentler than Ruto. With their new weapons in hand, the group decided to first move towards Clock Town to restock on supplies to keep themselves fed, running and also protected, after which they went back to the Swamp area to have a change in surroundings. Having spent such a long time in the mountain area made it quite weary for them after all, especially concerning the recent events they just went through, so a nice change in surroundings was more than welcome. This also gave them an opportunity to investigate the Swamp closer as Link remembered he could have seen something suspicious in the area some time ago, so he wanted to be sure the Deku Royal Family was safe. Taking the bottles of Chateau Romani they had stored with them, as well as plenty of arrows, bombs, Deku nuts and some fruit, the group went on their way.

Upon arriving at the Deku Palace deep within the Southern Swamp, the group was greeted by the two Deku Guards standing in front of the Palace's Entrance.  
"Hm? Visitors?" One of the guards asked.  
"Two of Royal decree." Zelda said as she was dressed in her Royal Attire and Ruto showed the Zora Sapphire to them.  
"We request an audience with the King." Link said.  
"Hm. One moment please." The guard said, before moving off to the Royal Chamber.  
Link and the others patiently waited, the other guard making sure they didn't try anything, just in case. After about a few minutes, the Deku Guard returned.  
"Our King can see you now, partially because the one who helped us out before is among you. Consider this a one-time occasion as we normally do not allow any non-Deku people here." The Guard said.  
"Understood. We won't be staying long, just a matter of business." Link said, nodding as he and his entourage proceeded to the Royal Chamber.

Entering the Royal Chamber, the group could see the Deku King on his throne, with the Deku Princess on his right and the Deku Butler on his left. The four guards in the chamber appeared, looking at the group, while one of the monkeys was also present.  
"Ah, welcome back, Mr. Link!" The Deku Princess said, smiling.  
"Nice to see you back, your Highness," Link said, bowing politely for her and the King.  
"This is the first time we've had foreigners in our Palace for a while. It pleases me to see other royalty out here as well." The Deku King said, nodding in respect in regards to seeing Zelda and Ruto.  
"The pleasure is ours to meet you here as well, Your Highness." Both Zelda and Ruto said, bowing.  
"So, what is the nature of your business?" The King asked.  
"Well, during our first, temporal stay in the Southern Swamp area, I thought to have detected some suspicious movements further into the swamp region. I could not give an exact identification of what or who it was, but due to the crisis our homeland is in, which in turn threatens these lands here in turn, I felt obliged to see if you were safe." Link said.  
The Deku King nodded.  
"I like your politeness, young one. I can assure you that the Deku Kingdom is safe and strong and will prosper once more. However I do wish to mention that the outer palace guards did feel unsettled the other day, and our monkey allies did mention something similar about some suspicious activity going on in this area. Some said that there was activity in the cleansed Spider House at the far side of this part of the swamp, others believed their attention was focused on the Woods of Mystery. The last one is more likely, since we've been having reports of increased activity there the other day and a patrol of Deku whom went inside the area to investigate went missing recently. I've already sent out a search patrol, but they haven't reported back so far…" He said.  
"We understand. Would you like us to aid in the investigation? Perhaps with other people assisting your troops, more areas will be covered and may get more results in." Zelda said.  
The Deku King thought for a moment.  
"I approve of this. I think too much suspicion may rise if more Deku will be sent out and I still would like to have a contingent of troops around to keep watch on the palace." He said.  
The group nodded.  
"We shall lead you to the right way. Be careful though." One of the monkeys said as it went on its way, the group itself bowing politely once more before moving to follow the monkey itself.

Moving back through the clean water of the swamp, the group followed the monkey all the way back to where the path in the direction of the Magic Hag's Potion Shop was, following it all the way to the entrance of the Woods of Mystery. Entering it, the group was taken all the way through forward, until they arrived in what appeared to be a tunnel from one of the logs. Upon exiting, they came across another splitting path, a path to the right went upwards in a circle like a stairway, the other one went straight ahead.  
"Wait, why do I feel this feeling of dread here, as if the dead are looming around here?" Zelda asked.  
"We must be close to Ikana Canyon if that's the case." Link said, narrowing his eyes.  
"Yes. Deku patrol has reported the discovery of this unknown land, but didn't come back. Search patrol should be around here somewhere too." The Monkey said as it went ahead, stopping eventually at another log tunnel ahead.  
"Patrol went through here." The monkey said, as the group caught up after checking their supplies they had on hand and gathered along the way in regards to ammunition and drinks.  
"They went through there? I do feel the stench of death getting stronger, but it seems way more peaceful than back in Ikana Canyon." Link said, scratching his head.  
"I wonder what's behind there…" Zelda said.  
"Only one way to find out." Nabooru said as she got ready to enter the log, as did the four children at her side, walking inside the log together.

Someone was flying into Termina, which went unnoticed by anyone else so far. It seemed rather confused as it flew around, as if looking for something…  
_'Where is he? I was told he was here somewhere, but I can't find him!'_ it thought to itself, looking around, _'I should have stayed with him after we had defeated Ganondorf first time… I… I really do miss him… I should have at least said where I would be going… or that I was even sorry for all the times I've been giving him information he may already have known before, yet he didn't speak out to me about it… he knows I was trying to help him… perhaps if I can see him, I can make it up to him…"_  
It moved on, in the direction of the Southern Swamp, hoping to find some traces of the one she was looking for…  
Two similar beings watched as it moved on into Termina Field, following it from a distance as if not to raise any alarm.

Upon exiting the tunnel, the group of five arrived in a rather lush landscape with green grass and stone structures everywhere. Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru all blink at the surroundings; the air seemed dry and nice, the grass was green and it appeared there was a sun shining over the area. It had a small sense of death around them, but it felt way more peaceful than Ikana was… as if it was a place where the souls did not have any linger or regrets upon passing and wanted to enjoy a more peaceful environment before moving on to the heavenly realms.  
"Well, in any case it's nice and calm here." Nabooru said.  
"Yeah, for a moment I was scared that this would be one of those spooky landscapes with terrifying enemies… it looks like I was mistaken on that part." Zelda said.  
"Don't jinx it, Zelda; we don't know what we may get to face. But I do agree that this place looks far more pleasant than I thought." Link said.  
"Look, there's a Deku locked up in a cage near that stone platform!" Saria said.  
"That cage seems fragile though. Allow me." Ruto said, grabbing her Boomerang and hurled it at the cage, breaking it and freeing the Deku in the process.  
The Deku squeaked as it was freed, landing safely on the ground, watching the group approaching it.  
"Did… did you set me free?" It asked.  
"Yes, we did." Ruto said, nodding.  
"I'll give you a hint for releasing me. There is someone in this place whom can help with some of your items, but if you don't everywhere here, you may miss her." It said, before it left.  
The group was puzzled at this, but decided to move on.  
"Perhaps it may be someone on our side." Nabooru said as the group moved on.  
Link breathed in for a moment.  
"Well, at least the air is fresh." He commented.  
"It sure is." Saria agreed, as the group proceeded through a stone tunnel, ending up inside another open field.  
"Alright, things look good so far. There's water to the far left of this area…" Link said, smiling.  
"There's a platform with a screw for a stilt… that looks stupid." Ruto said, looking at the platform to her right.  
"I can see two cages so far, but one is hard to reach, perhaps on a higher platform we may get it…" Nabooru said.  
Ruto tossed her Boomerang to the screwed stilt, making the platform go lower as if it was screwed into place! Now it was high enough for the group to climb on top of it!  
"Okay, that was unexpected…" Ruto then said, as Link and Zelda both got on top of the platform, moving to a higher spot, from where they aimed at the cages using their bow and arrows, striking both cages down with one arrow each, freeing the two Deku in the process.  
The two Deku each produced a chest, before leaving, squeaking in a gratitude tone for the group. Link opened the first chest.  
"Alright, a Hookshot!" He said, smiling as he took a yellow-colored hookshot out of the chest.  
"I found some gloves here." Zelda said upon opening the second chest.  
"Gloves you say?" Link asked, while Saria tried a pair on.  
"This feels weird; for some reason I can feel strength flowing through them." She said, worried.  
"No need to be worried; I believe that these gloves help in lifting some tough objects, like Bomb Flowers or some big chunks of rock. It's what the Goron Bracelet does for me." Link said.  
"Oh wow, that does sound good." Zelda said, trying on a pair herself.  
"Well, at least it allows us to progress." Ruto said, flexing her fingers inside her new additions for a bit, before she looked around to find something that was needed to continue on.  
"The ledge is too high for us to reach." Saria said, looking up at where she believed the path to continue was laid out.  
"Perhaps we need to put something in front of this so we can climb on top of it?" Nabooru asked.  
"I think I have found something." Link said, having spotted a target to practice his Hookshot on with.  
Firing it, he was pulled into a ledge behind the waterfall, where a big block was standing there. Going behind it, Link pushed the block off the ledge and into an empty moat just behind the waterfall, after which he jumped down and got behind the block again to shove it in front of the path. Luckily, Saria and Zelda provided assistance, testing their new power gloves along with it, just as Nabooru and Ruto took out two Stalchildren that could pose a threat.  
"Say, Nabooru, have you been able to study those documents we found?" Ruto then asked.  
"Not really; I did get from a quick read over that it was like a list of some sort, a list of different roads perhaps around Clock Town." Nabooru said.  
"Hmmm, that sounds suspicious, almost something fitting for a group of bandits." Ruto said, scratching her head, just as Link, Saria and Zelda finished pushing the block in its place.  
"Whew, either those blocks are getting heavier, or I may need to polish the bracelet a bit." Link said.  
"Must be the former." Zelda said with a smile as the group, one by one, climbed up on the block and then onto the path ahead.

Moving on the path down to what appears to be a stone building, they were immediately confronted by a group of Lisalfos and three green Sword Soldiers!  
"Intruder alert!" One of the Sword Soldiers said.  
Without hesitation, the entire group drew their Gilded Blades, ready to defend themselves as they needed. In the ensuing battle, it allowed Zelda, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru to get familiar with their more powerful blades, while Link faced one Sword Soldier alone, the sounds of blade meeting blade sounding throughout the area, before the enemies were vanquished. The group itself was fine, safe for maybe a minor cut or two, but that was nothing to be concerned about. However, Zelda was disturbed by one thing.  
"Why were there Corrupted Soldiers among that group?!" She asked.  
"Those must have been from Ganondorf or Majora; Saria and I have seen some of these already as part of their entourage/audience back when we were trying to gain intelligence on their forces before their invasion of Hyrule." Link said.  
"But why are they here?" Saria asked, scratching her head.  
"I don't know for sure… but I think I'm suspecting that we may have stumbled across one of their outposts here!" Link then said, eyes widening.  
"If that is true, this could be our chance to see what they are really up to and find out if we can throw a wrench in the gears of their plans." Nabooru said, displaying a confident smirk.  
"I agree with Nabooru on this one." Ruto said.  
"Alright then, let's go." Link said as the group proceeded in the stone building.

Moving into the structure, they could see that the building itself was illuminated through torches.  
"Looks like this outpost is under construction here…" Link said.  
"Yeah. I find it more astonishing to find one in this area; one we've never seen before." Zelda said.  
"Obviously Ganondorf knows about the places that we've visited and perhaps have set up outposts like this in order to get us by surprise." Nabooru said.  
"Well, it did got us by surprise here, but we also got them by surprise by coming across it by mere coincidence." Ruto said.  
"You got that right. Although I sincerely doubt we're in Termina any longer…" Saria said, before the group came across a block puzzle, involving two regular blocks and two sets of two blocks stacked on top of each other, requiring the group to make themselves a makeshift stairway to proceed.  
Link, Saria and Zelda proceeded to solve one of the two block puzzles together, while Nabooru and Ruto helped in solving the second one. The power gloves they were wearing, coupled with Link's bracelet, helped a lot with this as both solved the puzzle fairly quickly.  
"Let's see what we got up here." Link said as he climbed on the blocks of the puzzle he, Saria and Zelda solved first, allowing him to reach the ledge that led to the exit of the building.  
"There's one path going further in the building, Link." Nabooru said, pointing to the open area she found.  
"We'll investigate that soon enough, I've spotted several enemies here poised to attack!" Link said, drawing his sword again as he clocked several Dinolfos and Stalfos approaching.  
Without hesitation, Zelda, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru climbed up the blocks to where Link was to assist him. Link also spotted a few Spear Soldiers patrolling on a higher ledge. Popping his neck a little, Link adjusted the grip on his Shield before moving in the area as one of the Dinolfos approached him.

This fight proved to be more brutal as the five did face several of the stronger mooks that Ganondorf and Majora had sent out. The Stalfos in particular were quite notorious as, despite being undead skeleton warriors, they were highly capable warriors that could give any seasoned soldier a hard time when encountered in pairs. The Dinolfos on the other hand were easier to beat, although Ruto kept her distance to avoid their Fire Breaths like the plague. Thankfully, Nabooru aided her as the Dinolfos were soon taken down rapidly, allowing the group to focus on the Stalfos, where it was clear that Link had a bone to pick with them as payback for the ambush when they first arrived back in Termina Field while on their way to Clock Town. It took the group several minutes to finally beat the Stalfos, mostly to also avoid incoming spear throws from the Corrupted Spear Soldiers and thus being attacked from two sides. But no sooner had they defeated the Stalfos, before a Big Poe appeared just above the fountain, knocking Nabooru and Ruto aside with its lamp before it was struck with an Arrow, courtesy of Link. As it reappeared behind him, it was nailed by a Deku Seed from Ruto's Slingshot, before Zelda hit it again when it appeared behind Saria.  
"These Big Poes are quite sneaky!" Ruto said as she got up, seeing Link striking it with another arrow, before Zelda dealt the finishing blow.  
"That they are." Link said.  
Ruto used her Boomerang to lower another of the screw-stilted platforms, allowing the group to reach the higher ledge and attack the Spear Soldiers, while avoiding their spears in kind.  
"Those could have been such good soldiers if they didn't follow this vile path…" Zelda said, actually feeling sorry for them once they were slain.  
"Look at it this way, you have more reasons to tear Ganondorf a new one once we finally go to confront him." Link said, putting a hand on Zelda's shoulder to comfort her.  
Zelda smiled as she looked at Link.  
"You're right. They'll be avenged soon enough." She said.  
"Hey, what gives?!" They heard Saria say.  
"What's the matter?" Link asked.  
"We've been trying to bomb this cracked wall, but the bombs nor the Bombchus have any effect!" She said, watching Nabooru tossing another Bomb at the broken wall, only for the wall to remain in one piece after the bomb exploded.  
"Hmmm, then perhaps we need something stronger to break that wall down." Link said, thinking.  
"But where can we find something?" Ruto asked.  
"Maybe it's in the pathway that we did lay the puzzle out for, but didn't investigate yet due to Ganondorf and Majora's troops keeping us occupied." Zelda said, remembering the pathway further in the building she saw.  
"Then there's only one way to find out." Link said as he went on his way.

Another small group of people entered the Woods of Mystery, following a trail that one of their people had left. They too entered the land that the group of five had entered in, but they were apparently in more of a hurry than the group itself. One of the Monkeys, whom was watching the group enter the area from a tree, spotted them and decided to go in as well, taking a different route in its hopes to reach the group before those people did, as from what it could see, those people were dressed as if they were road bandits or even pirates, although the former seemed much more likely…

Moving back in the stone building, but this time choosing the other path, the group came across a single room which was a dead-end and was void of enemies. However, it did contain quite the supplies.  
"Good grief! Was this intended to use as a storage facility?!" Zelda asked, blinking.  
"I guess so. At least we can get some of these items for our own use." Link said, discovering some Red Potions to hand out between himself and his friends, while Zelda found some additional bombs and arrows.  
"Looks like these bombs and arrows were meant for other Corrupt Soldiers who were capable of using them…" She said as she restocked.  
"Do Ganondorf and Majora want to be more diverse in their troops to give us a tougher time?" Nabooru asked.  
"I wouldn't blame him if he did. After all, he knows what we are capable of and therefore he tried to take drastic measures in finding ways to stop us." Link said.  
Using the Red Potions to get healed up a bit, the group eventually came across a Big Chest. Opening it, Nabooru's eyes went wide.  
"By the Goddesses! Are they trying to bring in the artillery or something?!" She said, discovering a bomb that was bigger than the usual bombs.  
"Looks like we got ourselves a Super Bomb," Link said, looking it over, "this could be useful."  
"Are you crazy, Link? If something happens to this thing, all of us will be reduced to wall decorations!" Zelda said.  
"I'm not crazy. I do see your point, but as long as we're careful with carrying it and do not light its fuse until we've reached our destination, we should be able to get it to that rocky wall." Link said, looking it over, before noticing its rather long fuse.  
"The fuse is long as well…" Saria said, nodding as she saw it too.  
"This reminds me of the Powder Keg that the Gorons in Snowhead utilize." Link said, putting his sword and Shield away by strapping them on his back.  
"What are you going to do?" Zelda asked.  
"I'm going to try to carry this to that rocky wall. If anything, this fuse should be long enough for us to reach it in time, including the time we need to get on and off ledges and platforms." He said.  
"Can I help?" Saria asked.  
"Sure thing, Saria." Link said with a smile.  
"We'll help too, even if it is to watch your back." Nabooru said, nodding as she saw that both Zelda and Ruto were ready as well.  
"Alright, here goes nothing." Link said, picking the bomb up, before Zelda lit the fuse once the group was underway.  
"At least it will save us the time of waiting." She said as the group went underway.  
Tossing the bomb to each other to disturb it as little as possible, the group carried the bomb all the way into the area where the cracked, rocky wall was. Once arrived at the desired spot, Link put the bomb down in front of the wall, before running away from it to get some distance in, as did the others. About 10 seconds later, the Super Bomb detonated in a brilliant explosion, the sound of falling rubble indicating the destruction of the rocky wall. As the group went to look, they could see that a new path was revealed, which went deeper into what they believed to be a stronghold under construction.  
"Well, at least we're able to continue and see if we can rescue more Deku along the way." Link said as he got ready to progress.

"Hmmm, this is unexpected." Ganondorf said as he sat on his throne, Majora floating next to him.  
"They managed to discover one of our strongholds, but how?! Were they actively looking for it?" Majora asked.  
"I doubt that, considering the way they are looking around and exploring the new area they're in, I'd say they'd stumble across it by pure coincidence or accident." Ganondorf replied.  
"That's just great. As if we need those five to snoop around…" Majora said, annoyed.  
"Relax. This is just a minor setback. Anyone can have those every once in a while and those five are no different. In fact, this could be useful to us…"  
"How?"  
"While they are playing around and see how many of their Deku buddies they can rescue, we can focus on strengthening our other outposts and finish an additional detour I've planned for them. Let's see how far they are willing to go to reach their friends and eventually get to confront us…" Ganondorf said, a devious smirk plastered on his face.  
"Yes, this could actually be quite beneficial for us…" He said with a low cackle.  
Majora blinked at this for a bit, but decided to wait and see what Majora had planned for them exactly…


	9. Chapter 9: New enemies and new powers

_Chapter 9: New enemies and new powers_

Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru walked further down the stone building they just entered, before jumping down a shaft and landing in a short tunnel… in direct sight of another Dinolfos! Instantly the Dinolfos warned its comrades as it fled into an open field, which appeared to be part of a coast line as there was water at one side of the area, although it seemed much calmer than the water in Great Bay. Nevertheless, the group had no time to enjoy the scenery as they were instantly drawn into battle, against the Dinolfos who spotted them, along with three more Dinolfos, a small contingent of Stalfos and Blue Sword Soldiers and finally, accompanied by a Red Spear Soldier, who stood on a higher platform. Their blades drawn, the group proceeded to engage their enemies.

Spinning her dual blades around, Nabooru easily cleaved two of the Dinolfos in half, while Zelda and Ruto kept the Soldiers occupied, leaving Link and Saria fighting together against the Stalfos.  
"This upgraded sword has been really of great help so far, Link; I feel like I'm just as strong as you." Saria said as both double-teamed a Stalfos.  
"Heh, I wouldn't be surprised if you are," Link said, hacking at the Stalfos' leg when its guard was down, "besides, we're a team, so we can work together more efficiently this way."  
"True that."  
"Look, would you two stop talking and get serious?!" The Stalfos then said in its crackling voice.  
Both Link and Saria then turned to each other, before nodding… and sliced the Stalfos in three.  
"That should shut your bony face up." Link retorted, before getting ready to engage another Stalfos, with Saria assisting him.

Nabooru effectively used both of her blades to both attack and defend herself with against strikes of a Stalfos she was engaging now, relieving Zelda and Ruto who had an easier time against the two remaining Dinolfos, although Zelda had to shield Ruto from one's Fire Breath, before the Dinolfos in question was decapitated by the former. Ruto used a successful jump attack against the last one while it was distracted by Zelda, leaving only the Sword and Spear Soldiers as well as the Stalfos, with the Stalfos being now alone as its comrade was taken out by Link and Saria, who then moved to engage the Sword Soldiers. This battle showed both Link's prowess in sword combat, while Saria on her turn was getting more familiar as well, although she did snag the Spear Soldier in vines to make it stop hurling spears at her and Link. Seeing it was trying to break free, Link managed to strike one of the Sword Soldiers so it fell in the water, not returning to surface, before firing a Fire Arrow at the Spear Soldier, killing it, before focusing on the remaining Sword Soldiers, just as Zelda and Ruto came to their aid. Nabooru joined in a minute later after getting rid of the Stalfos bothering her.

Watching this battle ensuing was a lone Deku Soldier, whom was trapped in a cage on a wooden platform, where it had previously been guarded by the Spear Soldier, initially startled as the Spear Soldier was defeated through Saria's Vine Trap and Link's Fire Arrow. It watched as the group engaged the remaining Sword Soldiers and defeated them, right before another Big Poe appeared, this time there were two of them as they got ready to batter the group with their lanterns, although the group went out of their way and engaged them.  
_'Wow, they are really good!'_ The Deku Soldier said, watching the ensuing battle with awe.

The Big Poes eventually were defeated by the group, but the five had no time to rest as another set of enemies arrived, this time a small group of regular Poes, but arriving from a floating airship that looked like a small boat held in the air by a big balloon, was a Ball and Chain Trooper and another Spear Soldier, the Spear Soldier moving to the high platform close to the cage containing the Deku Soldier while the Poes were being decimated by the group, while the Ball and Chain Trooper went to seek the confrontation on ground level, its mace at the ready as he swung it forward, with Nabooru ducking underneath the strike as she clocked it in time, just as Zelda used a Fire Arrow of her own to defeat the Spear Soldier. It was like another five-on-one battle as the group attacked the Ball and Chain Trooper at once, leaving said Trooper in a tight pitch. The Ball and Chain Trooper managed to strike Link and Saria in the back, sending them flying into the water, but leaving it open for Zelda to strike him with another Fire Arrow and Nabooru charged in with a Double Slash Attack, moving her swords outwards to cut through the Trooper's Armor. Although Link and Saria recovered, Saria was close to losing consciousness, causing Link to drag her to land with the aid of Ruto, just as Zelda used her own blade to finally defeat the Trooper, just as it managed to smack Nabooru against the wall, leaving her partially dazed as she held her head. While Link tended to Saria, ignoring his own injuries in the process, and with Ruto helping Nabooru up, Zelda took down a final Poe that appeared after the Ball and Chain Trooper had disintegrated into nothingness, leaving the group finally at peace which allowed them to recover. Using part of the Red Medicine he managed to take with him, Link let Saria drink some of it, the potion's healing magic moving to work right away, as it helped Saria recover, although it would take a few minutes for her wounds to disappear. Link also drank a bit of the medicine himself once he was certain that Saria would be fine, before checking on Nabooru. Zelda also spotted the Deku in the cage and shot an arrow at the cage itself, breaking it easily, freeing the Deku in the process.

"Are you okay?" Zelda then asked.  
"We'll manage, but thanks for your concern." Link said with a smile, just as the Deku hopped on the ground from the platform he was held on first, moving to them.  
"Thank you for releasing me." The Deku said.  
"No problem." Zelda said, smiling.  
"I'll give you some information for saving me: The patrol you're looking for has been taken to a tower somewhere in this area, but you won't be able to access it outright. The ones who can grant access to it have also been captured and are held elsewhere in this land." The Deku said.  
"So you Deku have known about this part of Termina before?" Link asked.  
"Yes. Plans were being made to form a settlement here when these vile beings of evil attacked us. The patrol sent by the Deku King to investigate this area was also captured in the process, followed by the corresponding search party of which I have been part of."  
"Hmmm, Hyrule has had Dekus around too, so I assume the ones in Hyrule went here to settle peacefully, only to come under attack from Ganondorf and Majora's forces. Then the Deku Kingdom sends troops here to investigate the movements made in here…" Link said, thinking.  
"So technically we're dealing with an invasion in Deku territory, but was not claimed by the Deku Kingdom itself then?" Zelda asked.  
"That's possible; the Deku King did say he has sent troops to investigate the increased activity around here. I do find it plausible that the Deku King may have sent troops to assist their Hyrulean counterparts, but that's a different matter…" Link said.  
"Actually, His Highness wanted to see what was going on here, not expecting that there would be fellow Deku around when we got captured." The Deku said.  
Link nodded.  
"But why would Ganondorf and Majora settle in this area?" Saria asked.  
"Since we've never seen this land before, I assume they would think this would be a nice spot to set up an outpost and attack Termina from the South once enough forces have been gathered. At least we're in the process of preventing such a potential upcoming assault, but that doesn't mean that we should grow careless; they may have already set up outposts elsewhere that could possibly be of more trouble if we don't do something about it." Link said.  
"I see your point, Link. Ganondorf has been able to settle his forces in the five Temples over the years he took over Hyrule in the future we managed to prevent, but there's always a chance that he could still do it at any time he pleases, now that his conquest has come true regarding Hyrule." Zelda said.  
"And couple that with that twisted wizard known as Majora…" Saria said.  
"True…" Ruto said.  
"Just be sure to look out for secrets in the area; the enemy may have not found them yet." The Deku said, before leaving.  
The group nodded.  
"Just be careful on your way back." Link said.  
"I will, thank you." It said, before it was gone.  
Ruto tossed her boomerang to another screw-tilted platform, lowering it.  
"The platform's ready, but we need to go through the water to get to it." Ruto said.  
"At least the water's fine and refreshing." Link said.  
"Yeah, and so clear too…" Saria added, admitting that the water was very fine.  
"Well, let's go then." Zelda said, fixing her dress to make movements much easier, while Link and Saria, after making sure their clothes and gear were set up, dove in the water, swimming to the platform.  
Princess Ruto joined them right away, while Zelda and Nabooru followed as the last ones.  
"Wow, the water is fine indeed." Zelda said as she swam along, impressed.  
Link then climbed on the platform, before helping the others up, although Nabooru climbed on it by herself.

The group jumped on the higher path, moving along the way until they came across two Lizalfos that tried to block their path.  
"I have to admit that these goons are relentless." Link said as he engaged one with Saria and Zelda.  
"Indeed. But at least these guys are easier to deal with." Nabooru said as she and Ruto kept the other occupied, allowing the two fiends to be slain quickly.  
The group moved into a darker area, seemingly void of enemy presence, jumping down the entrance and rolling forward after landing on the ground a few meters below.  
"This room appears empty." Nabooru said, looking around.  
"It does, although I do see a few chests around." Zelda said.  
Opening the chests, they found a bundle of arrows and a set of Bombchus, 20 in total.  
"Hmmm, I believe those may come in use very soon." Link said, holding the Bombchus before tucking them away for now.  
The group eventually discovered a path going further down, figuring it was the only way to continue on in the area. Jumping down onto the path, the five would see an underground stone structure being present, but Link froze as he looked forward.  
"Oh for the love of the Goddesses, you have to be kidding me!" He exclaimed.  
"What the-?!" Zelda said, before gasping as she looked in the direction of where Link was looking.  
Saria and Ruto just gulped, while Nabooru brought her blades to bear, as further up in the room was an Eyegore, accompanied by TWO Iron Knuckles.  
Link however regained his courage, but didn't grab his sword, instead he brought his Hookshot and Bow and Arrow out to prepare himself.  
"What are you doing?" Saria asked.  
"Making plans; those Iron Knuckles won't move until something or someone touches or damages them, so this could help us in focusing on the Eyegore for the time being. Then we can take those Iron Knuckles out one by one. Now that we have stronger blades, we could try to circle it and damage it from behind as long as it walks towards any of us. And once it gets its axe stuck, we could use that momentum to inflict as much damage as we can, perhaps defeating it even quicker than last time." Link said.  
"Alright, but how can we take this Eyegore out?" Saria asked.  
"While its eye contains its main weapon in the form of a Laser, it's also its greatest weakness; when it turns yellow, we can stun and damage it, when its eye turns read, it's about to explode, which means we've defeated it." Link said.  
"Alright." Zelda said, nodding as she got ready.

The group then engaged the Eyegore according to Link's plan, waiting for the Eye to color yellow as it approached them, using arrows to stun it, before firing more arrows to damage it, wearily keeping their distance. Link also lured it away from the Iron Knuckles, not wanting them to wake up until after the defeat of the Eyegore. It took a total of four arrows to bring the Eyegore down, with Link and Zelda both having fired two each, after which the Eyegore's eye turned red and it collapse, before disintegrating as it detonated itself like a regular bomb.  
"That's one enemy out of the way, now we need to deal with these tough bastards." Link said, referring to the Iron Knuckles.  
"At least we have more room to move in." Zelda said.  
Circling the Iron Knuckle once more, this time the Group was way more prepared once Link woke it up with a Bombchu, letting the Iron Knuckle come to him while Zelda and Saria jump attacked it from behind, after which Ruto and Nabooru joined in, taking turns to prevent from getting caught in each other's momentum and to stay clear of the Iron Knuckle's axe. After several strikes, part of its armor broke off, making it faster, but Link made sure its attention was focused on him by pelting it with arrows and Bombchus when his friends were out of the blast range and, true to Link's word, they defeated the Iron Knuckle quicker than the previous time in the cavern of Snowhead, after which they repeated this maneuver against the second Iron Knuckle, eventually achieving the same result as with the previous one. This time, the group had survived the battle without taking damage this time around.  
"Whew, at least we made it without taking damage this time." Zelda said, wiping her forehead.  
"Now we need to push or pull those blocks at the far side of the room in place to reach the next floor." Nabooru said.  
"Let's rest up for a bit first, I don't want us to overexert ourselves." Link said.  
"True, otherwise we'll be too exhausted to continue to fight…" Zelda said.  
Saria, Ruto and Nabooru agreed to it, sitting down against the nearest wall to rest up properly, although Zelda did use one arrow to shoot at another cage, breaking it which freed another Deku in the process. This Deku, upon landing on the ground, squeaked as it ran to the group in gratitude.  
"These Deku seem a lot more friendlier than the Mad Scrubs." Link said.  
"Yeah." Saria said  
"Thank you for saving me. I'll give you a hint in gratitude." The Deku said.  
"What is it?" Zelda said.  
"I overheard this; some of the enemies you may have faced before have changed their strategy; chances are they will do more for their comrades instead of joining the attack against you. While this could be bothersome, you could also take advantage of it, provided your items are good enough for it." The Deku said.  
"Thanks, we'll keep our heads up." Link said.  
"Anytime." The Deku said, before leaving.  
"I wonder what he meant by that." Nabooru said.  
"Not sure, but we should keep a look out anyway." Link said.

A few minutes later, the group moved up to push/pull the blocks they had seen before on the right place to climb up to the first floor of the area, allowing them to progress. However, before they could go on, Nabooru spotted a curious area to her right and went to investigate, the four children following. Out of reflex, Link had his sword and shield drawn, just to be sure. So imagine the group's surprise when they came across what appeared to be a pond of water in a small room.  
"Well, this is unexpected." Zelda said.  
Link yelped as he tripped over a stone he didn't see, causing him to fall to the ground. His sword clattered on the ground as well, but his shield was sent flying from his grip, straight into the pond, submerging into the water right away.  
"Are you alright?" Saria asked, helping Link up.  
"I'm fine, it's just the dark area that made it hard for me to see the stone." Link said, grabbing his sword.  
"Huh?! Something's happening to the pond!" Ruto then exclaimed.  
As the group looked in the direction of the pond, the pond itself seemed to glow with a beautiful light, that seemed to take the form of a person. While the five at first were defensive, they had a serious jaw-drop as suddenly a beautiful Great Fairy appeared, dressed in a green dress, with majestic, green wings flapping softly behind her, sporting the sweetest smile on her face that showed she was friendly.  
"Hello there. Did you drop this?" She asked Link, referring to the Hero's Shield.  
"Yes, ma'am." Link said, admitting he did drop the shield in the pond by accident.  
The Great Fairy smiled, satisfied by the answer.  
"I like an honest person. I will give you something better in return." The Great Fairy said, using her magic to retrieve… and change the Hero's shield, making it slightly larger and giving it an overall red-metallic color, with the markings having now colored gold to orange.  
"Wow, thank you." Link said, genuinely surprised.  
"No problem. Your shield will from now on absorb small fireballs and will also provide a greater defense against other enemy attacks." The Great Fairy said.  
"Can you give my friends something too, please? We are in the midst of a serious crisis and we believe that the worst has yet to come." Link then said to the Great Fairy.  
"Oh? How come?" The Great Fairy asked.  
Link explained in short the release and resurrection of Ganondorf and Majora, their subsequent conquest of Hyrule and of him and his four friends being sent to Termina because of Majora's magic, leading the four on up to where they were now. The Great Fairy could see the honesty, courage and determination within the young boy and nodded.  
"I have listened to your story, young lad. It is true that the five of you will be pitted against greater dangers to come; the wind of darkness has not escaped my attention either. Henceforth, I shall grant you your request. It is a small gesture of what I can offer, but please, take it." The Great Fairy said, before she applied her magic to change the shields that Saria and Zelda carried to the same red color of Link's shield, the difference being while Zelda has a more royal tone to her shield, Saria's shield had the crest of the Kokiri's Emerald engraved into it. Coupled with its metallic structure made it also fire resistant.  
Ruto on the other hand got something different. Applying her magic to Ruto's Boomerang, the Great Fairy made it change color in a more blue-scaled tone, as if having inverted the colors of the weapon itself.  
"Princess of the Zora people, your Boomerang can from now on reach twice its original striking range and will also for certain defeat the more frail enemies with a single strike." The Great Fairy said, before applying her magic to enhance Nabooru's blades.  
"Leader of the Gerudo Tribe, if you scrape your blades together while aiming at your enemies, firing a spark of energy at them. This in turn will allow you to strike enemies from a distance." The Great Fairy said.  
"Wow, thank you very much." Nabooru said, blinking before bowing in gratitude.  
"Please come back to see me if you're feeling weary." The Great Fairy then said, before vanishing.  
The group then left the pond, leaving her alone in peace.  
"Wow, this is really unexpected." Ruto said, blinking.  
"At least it gives us a greater chance to strike against our enemies, come on." Link said, wanting to test his new shield out.

After climbing up a ladder and going through a small gate, the group was instantly greeted by the sight of a Wizrobe, whom instead of attacking the group by himself, turned his attention to a nearby Dinolfos, using his own magic to create a shield around the lizard-like creature.  
"So THAT is what the Deku meant…" Zelda said.  
"Which leaves us to deal with him and two Dinolfos, let's go!" Link said.  
Adapting their tactics, Link first observed the actions of the two Dinolfos in turns as he and the girls attacked. He noticed that the barrier the Wizrobe generated was impenetrable and deflected projectiles and sword strikes when they hit. He also saw that when either one of the Dinolfos was being attacked first, the Wizrobe's barrier protected it, but it left the second Dinolfos as well as the Wizrobe itself wide open.  
"Zelda, Ruto, concentrate your fire on the Wizrobe; it's wide open when generating his barrier! Nabooru and Saria, help me in keeping these fire-breathing lizard's occupied until the Wizrobe has been dealt with!" Link said.  
"Right, cover me!" Zelda said as she got out a bow and arrow, while Nabooru attacked the Dinolfos with her newfound skill to make the barrier-generating Wizrobe appear.  
Firing an arrow at it, Zelda saw that the Wizrobe was taking damage right away and the barrier was instantly evaporated due to its generation being disrupted by the strike. This in turn allowed the others to pick up on the movement and, following Link's advice, went to lure the Wizrobe out to defeat it first, before attacking the Dinolfos more seriously. This strategy proved effective as after four hits of her arrows, Zelda defeated the Wizrobe, stripping the Dinolfos of their only source of protection which in turn allowed Link, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru to take the lizard-like beings out swiftly. But their celebrations were cut short as another group of Sword Soldiers arrived, this time accompanied by a Bomb Soldier floating in what appeared to be another primitive airship, as if Ganondorf and Majora were planning to strike their targets also from the air! Moving around to stay clear of the Bombs, the group took out the Sword Soldiers easily, before Ruto tossed her upgraded Boomerang to the Bomb Soldier, scoring a direct hit at it as it defeated the Bomb Soldier and making the airship crash out of sight of the group in turn. A final Lizalfos appeared in the distance, but Nabooru used her new Spark ability to take it out from afar, proving that Nabooru now could use a ranged weapon with her melee ones!  
"Wow, the Great Fairy's upgrades have helped greatly with this; it would have taken us longer to take those goons out." Link said.  
"Yeah, not to mention the fact that I had to go closer to the airship to take that Bomb Soldier out." Ruto said, as the group moved on to the far side of the area.  
"It looks like it's about to rain a little." Nabooru then said as she observed the dark clouds in the sky.  
"Well, so far so good. Perhaps we can find more information in regards to what has happened here, if we find more Deku around here that is." Saria said.  
Link climbed up a rocky wall that led to a higher pathway ahead, Saria and Zelda following.  
"I'm still a bit astonished by the surroundings here, as if it's actually hard to tell we're anywhere near Ikana Valley." Zelda said as the three waited for Ruto and Nabooru to join them up.  
"Yeah, while I admit it's a bit bleak here despite the idyllic landscape, it's definitely not so bad at all." Link said.  
"I do wonder whom have dwelled here before though, seeing its rather ancient look with the stone monoliths, the sunken or ruined structures and small passages…" Saria said.  
"Perhaps a civilization must have lived here in the ancient times. Apparently its remote, isolated location could be the cause of it not being mentioned in any form of Hyrulean or Terminan history." Link said as the group eventually moved along on the grassy path.  
"That sounds plausible, or considering its initial primitive appearance could make it of little importance to mention in the first place." Zelda said, nodding.  
"True." Link said, as the group turned a corner.  
A slight breeze was felt in the area as the group moved along, unaware of their current pursuers coming closer…


	10. Chapter 10: The Tower of Light

_Chapter 10: The Tower of Light_

After jumping down a hole to a different area in the strange land they were investigating, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru were greeted with the sight of a Stalfos locking the gate ahead shut with a switch that was out of the group's reach, even with the Hookshot. The Stalfos then jumped down to ground level to attack the group, using two Bomb Soldiers standing on the two lookout towers to its right (and the group's left in turn) as its cover. This proved the ensuing fight against the Stalfos more challenging as the Bomb Soldiers did throw bomb after bomb on the field, and the Bomb Soldiers could not be reached, not even with arrows or even Ruto's Magical Boomerang as they were too high and arrows couldn't penetrate through the wooden walls that shielded the soldiers in the process.  
"The enemies are sure getting smarter." Link said, striking the Stalfos before rolling away from an incoming bomb.  
"I agree. We need to find shelter against these bombs soon." Zelda said, noticing it was raining softly now as they fought the Stalfos together.

After defeating the Stalfos, the group looked around, although still on the move to avoid the bombs, when Nabooru spotted a pathway to the left from where they entered the field itself.  
"Hey, we should go there to hide from those bombs and see where we can go next from there too." She said.  
"Right, let's go." Link said as the group went on its way to the pathway that Nabooru spotted, avoiding the bombs along the way.  
As they ran in the pathway, they noticed it looked more like a tunnel, while Link struck a lone Dinolfos with a Fire Arrow while being his way, while a swipe from Nabooru's blade ended the creature.  
"Looks like that one was more desperate than its comrades." Saria noted.  
"Yeah, but that's not entirely unusual…" Zelda said.  
Upon exiting the tunnel, the group arrived in another area, which had a field on one side, a stone terrace on the other side of a cliff over which a bridge connected the two areas… and on that far side stood a huge, majestic, transparent walled tower, as if it was made out of light, made more evident as the group could see transparent staircases going in a circle up the tower…  
"By the Goddesses, girls, check out the size of that tower! Incredible!" Link exclaimed, sizing the structure up.  
"Wow, that's one giant tower! Who built this?!" Saria asked, blinking.  
"No idea, but it is worth investigating…" Zelda said as she moved on first, Link joining her right away, followed by Saria, Ruto and Nabooru, each of them mesmerized by the sheer appearance of the tower.

As the group moved onto the bridge, three Poes appeared that tried to block their way, although they were easily disposed off after the Poes' main attack was blocked and were then slashed at with the swords of the group, allowing them to enter the tower. Spotting a switch, Nabooru hit it with her hands, causing platforms to rise that led to the first transparent staircase. The group made their way over the platforms.  
"Wow, looks like we're going in a circle now." Ruto said.  
"We shouldn't get dizzy." Saria said, just as the group arrived on the first staircase, before spotting a cage containing a Deku Scrub.  
Ruto used her Magical Boomerang to break the cage, freeing the Deku Scrub.  
"Thank you for saving me, but my brothers are still captive. One of them is held all the way up this tower." It said.  
"We'll get him out for you." Link said, moving up the stairs.  
"I'll wait down here." The Deku Scrub said.

The group had little trouble in going up the stairs, Link's Hookshot proved of incredible use along the way.  
"Wow, this tower is really high." Zelda said.  
"Fortunately not as high as Ganon's Tower is." Link said, remembering him having to scale a long staircase before the final confrontation, for a moment he was actually wondering if that staircase had an end at all before he finally reached the top.  
They eventually spotted the cage, which contained a different looking Deku Scrub, as it seemed larger than normal. Using her Slingshot, Saria broke the cage open, freeing the Deku. The Deku itself floated in place using its own copter leaves, appearing like the Business Scrubs in Termina. Holding on fragments of the cage before the debris fell to the ground, the Business Scrub then floated to the group.  
"Hang on to these cage fragments, I'll take you downstairs." It said.  
Link and his friends did so, making sure they were divided equally to prevent any accidents as the Business Scrub gently took the five down. This in turn allowed the group to get a decent view of the tower, taking note of the lights moving up and down the tower's walls.

After about half a minute, the Business Scrub stopped just above the ground, allowing the five to safely let go of the fragments, being on the ground level of the tower once more.  
"One of my brothers is still held captive. Free him and we'll open up the way to where the Investigation Patrol has been held for you." It said as it flew off with his freed brother in tow.  
"Time to play the search game again." Link said jokingly, causing Zelda to playfully elbow him.  
"Maybe he's held on a lower level." Saria suggested.  
"You could be right. I wonder if- hey, someone's coming here." Ruto then said.  
"It's one of the monkeys we saw at the Deku Palace and who guided us here." Link said, blinking.  
"He looks quite tired from what I can tell…" Saria said as the monkey came to them.  
"Be careful, some bandits are on your trail!" The monkey said, before Link caught him to let the animal calm down a bit.  
"Bandits?" Zelda said.  
"Yes, they're armed and are in pursuit. Watch yourself!" It said as the group found a safe path to a lower level.  
"Relax, little guy, we'll be on the lookout for them." Saria said, smiling as she petted the monkey.  
Once down on the lower area, the group found a set of small crates being placed there, while at the other side of the area were two platforms surrounded by a pool of water. Deciding to check the area out for now, the group left the crates for what they were and moved to the pool, with Ruto using her Magical Boomerang to lower the two screw-stilted platforms, before moving to the other side. They were greeted with the sight of another Big Poe as it appeared in front of them, and they also could hear someone squeaking as if it was crying for help.  
"It looks like the Deku we're looking for has been held there." Link said after striking the Big Poe with an arrow.  
"But how are we going to get there? There's a group of switches around, but the platform's too high for us to reach." Zelda said.  
"Perhaps if we can use the crates we saw to keep the switches down, perhaps we can reach the cage?" Saria then said.  
"Great idea. But we must be careful when carrying those; falling in the water won't do us or the crates any good." Link said.  
"True that." Ruto said, after which the group defeated the Big Poe to have it out of the way.  
Once the group went back to the part where they saw the crates and grabbed them, moving one by one back to the other side so they wouldn't get in each other's way. Once on the other side, they went to put the crates on the switches they saw, each switch supporting a small platform that served as a staircase for the higher part where the cage was, allowing the group to reach the cage and freeing the Deku in the process. Bowing in gratitude, the Deku floated up with its helicopter leaves, joining his brothers up to the entrance of the tower, after which they began some kind of magical incantation that only Deku knew. About several seconds later, what appeared to be a swirling portal appeared on the entrance. A ladder also appeared next to the bridge from both sides of the ground level, allowing the group to climb their way back up to where the tower was. Just as they wanted to cross the bridge, a spear landed between Link and Saria, startling the two and causing them to turn around, along with the others. As they turned around, they saw a small group of people standing there. They were obviously looking Hylian in appearance, but were wearing yellow tunics with an orange cap on their heads, the sleeves being orange as well. Their pants were also orange to red, while their boots were yellow.  
"It's them!" The monkey, who was currently sitting on top of Zelda's shoulder said.  
"Well, looks like you were alarmed about our presence. No matter, we're simply here to ask something back." One of the bandits said.  
"What do you mean?" Link asked, frowning.  
"We've seen you snooping around in some of our hideouts." A more brutish-looking bandit said.  
"Hideouts?" Saria asked, puzzled.  
"Yes. We have had a few hideouts in Snowhead and Ikana Canyon, since we thought that those locations were rather remote and through that safe for us to dwell in, taking the arachnid presence aside. We just didn't feel like maintaining it properly to remain unsuspected." One of the bandits said.  
"So let me understand this, you're saying that those caverns we discovered by pure accident, one we were actually being transported in, belonged to you?" Link asked, trying to put two and two together.  
"That's right. We've discovered that you have taken a few things during your short stay in our territory." The first bandit said.  
"Really? Were they yours?" Nabooru asked.  
"Pretty much. It was more exactly things we looted from unsuspecting travelers."  
"You don't say… that reminds me of someone." Link said.  
"Who?"  
"Sakon. Another notorious thief that dwells around Termina. I recall him having snatched a few items from my pocket when he wanted to flee from us, I think I recognized some of the items that you claim are yours." Link said.  
"Are you certain of this?" The bandit asked, blinking as he apparently knew of Sakon.  
"You got that right. That prancing of his is meant to keep your guard down to make him look like a clown, but in reality your pocket has been picked before you even realized what has happened. We tried to capture him, but he used a diversion to escape from our grasp. That guy has quite the lean fingers if you get what I mean." Link said.  
"Oooohhh that sneaky bastard, we'll get him for this!" The bandit said as he and the others moved off in a rush to get out of the area.  
Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru blinked at this big time, before turning to Link, who had an uncharacteristic smug expression on his face.  
"How did you do that?!" Zelda asked Link once the bandits were out of sight.  
"To be fair, Sakon DID snatch a few items from my pocket, like a bomb and a few Deku Nuts, one of which he had used to blind us. It was something I discovered once you and I regained consciousness after Sakon used his diversion to knock us out. And besides, all we took from the bandits were actually some of those weapons and those swords we had reforged. They didn't recognize the blades themselves at all however, so we went scot-free at this." Link explained.  
"I understand." Zelda said, nodding.  
"Besides, Sakon does have the tendency to steal items from people and then sales them to the Curiosity Shop in Clock Town. I've seen him doing this when I was spying on him with Kafei, the husband of the Stock Pot Inn keeper Anju." Link said.  
"So it's a bit of deception for one's protection, but with a scale of truth added to it…" Nabooru said.  
"Of course. We have more important matters to attend to rather than being occupied by some petty thieves." Link said, before turning to the tower.  
"But wait, how are you so certain that he didn't take our precious items?" Ruto asked.  
"Some of the clothing that were given to us when we recovered from the initial Stalfos attack in Termina Field have pockets on the INSIDE of the fabric," Link said, showcasing a pocket on the inside of his green tunic, which stored both the Fairy Ocarina he got from Saria as well as the Goron's Ruby, "so I've been making a bit of precautions on that part."  
Saria sighed of relief when she discovered that her outfit had a similar pocket, where her own Ocarina as well as the Kokiri Emerald were stored. Having presented the Sapphire before entering the area made it evident that Ruto had taken good care of her own precious item, while within one of the pockets of Zelda's outfit was the Ocarina of Time.  
"At least ammunition is something we can miss in a way. Let's go." Nabooru said.

Upon entering the tower, the group already encountered a 'welcoming committee' which consisted of several Stalfos, Dinolfos and Corrupted Sword Soldiers, but also present were a Ball and Chain Trooper, two White Wolfos and two Garo Robes. Without hesitation, the group initiated their counter attack as the enemies charged at them. A jump attack courtesy of both Link and Zelda respectively defeated the Garo Robes, whom disintegrated in sheets of green flame within a second or two. Saria took down a Wolfos, while Nabooru used her newfound Spark attack to keep the Ball and Chain Trooper at bay. Ruto used her Magical Boomerang to stun the Corrupted Sword Soldiers, allowing Link and Zelda to strike at them. The second White Wolfos was taken out by Ruto, whom was then yanked out of harm's way by Saria when a Stalfos tried to attack her from behind. On her turn, Saria defeated one of the Dinolfos with the aid of Nabooru, seeing as Link and Zelda were engaged in a serious sword fight against the Sword Soldiers, whom had the appearance of a knight in regards to the shapes of their helmets. The new shields of Link, Saria and Zelda proved invaluable as it gave them greater protection indeed. While sending an occasional spark to keep the Ball and Chain trooper at the far side of the room, Nabooru made mincemeat out of two other Dinolfos, before turning her attention on the Stalfos whom was currently attacking Saria and Ruto, coming to their aid, although both children proved to be adapting to each other's skills very well, with Ruto using both her Magical Boomerang as well as her own Gilded Zora Blade, resorting to using one of her fins as a basic yet effective shield.  
"I really find this hand-to-hand combat quite distasteful!" Ruto said as she hurled her Boomerang against a Dinolfos to stun it.  
"I bet you prefer the simplicity of an interrogation chamber!" Nabooru said, sending one more spark that finally defeated the persistent Ball and Chain Trooper.  
"You have to admit, it's much more civilized." Ruto retorted, before focusing her Sage powers to summon a water spout from below the Dinolfos to send the reptilian beast flailing in the air, defeating it.  
Saria used her own Sage powers to trap a Stalfos in order to restrict its movements, growling even as she charged with her own jump attack.  
"Way to go, Saria!" Link said after he had slain the Corrupted Sword Soldier who kept him occupied.  
"Heh, I think your courage and determination to beat these fools is rubbing off on me." Saria replied, nodding before gutting a Dinolfos sneaking up on her without even looking at it.  
"I second that one, Saria." Zelda said, whom just finished off her own attacker.  
"Princesses and other females kicking ass, I can never get enough of seeing that." Link said, complimenting his female friends, before he charged at another Stalfos himself.  
Zelda could have sworn she felt her heart sing at this compliment for a second, before engaging the final Sword Soldier, as Nabooru had taken out the last Dinolfos, leaving only three more Stalfos and the Sword Soldier to deal with.

"Wait, hold up!" A female voice said in the Southern Swamp area.  
The flying creature, whom looked like a fairy, stopped, turning around, only to see two more fairies approaching her.  
"Uh, hello." She said, a bit nervous.  
"Who are you? I have never seen you around here before." One of the two fairies said.  
"I'm Navi the Fairy. And you are?" Navi asked.  
"I'm Tatl, and the one next to me is my brother Tael," The other fairy responded, "what are you doing here?"  
"I'm looking for Link. I was told he was around here someplace." Navi said.  
"Wait what?! You mean that forest kid whom saved this land from impending doom, using that blue ocarina to travel through time?!" Tatl asked.  
"That's him. You know him?"  
"Well, sort-of. I was his 'companion' when that mask-possessed Skull Kid went to Termina with my brother in tow, leaving me with Link. So why are you looking for him. Or better yet, why has he returned here?" Tatl replied.  
"Well, I'm looking for him since I wanted to know how he has been doing over the time we have been separated. As for his return here, I was told that some evil power has sent him here along with a few of his friends. Things went really downhill back in my homeland and chances are that Termina may face yet another crisis." Navi replied.  
"I see. Where are you from anyway?"  
"From Hyrule."  
"Hyrule? Just like Link?" Tatl asked.  
"That is correct."  
Tatl thought about it.  
"Well, might as well come along, I have nothing better to do anyway." She then said.  
"Hey, does that imply that Link has grown on you?" Tael asked.  
"H – Hey, it's not that I c – care about him or anything, I just go along with her since it's been s – some time I saw another Fairy other t – than you!" Tatl said.  
Tael simply giggled as he followed after Navi, Tatl following shortly behind.

Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru just finished off the remaining Stalfos and the final Sword Soldier, finally allowing them to progress. Zelda did take note of a strange figure that was painted in the center of the main room, but thought nothing of it other than it was an ordinary drawing or something that was placed there in ancient times, so she turned her attention back to Link.  
"Enemy presence is still high in this tower. We should be careful." Link said as he moved to a staircase, but still held his sword and shield ready.  
The others followed behind him still having their guards up as they moved up the staircase, through an opened gate and then moving up another path going up to what they believed to be the first floor of the tower. Once in the open room, they stopped at the sight of a lone Floormaster, whom instantly charged at Link and Zelda, whom evaded it in time. But as the group wanted to attack it, another barrier-casting Wizrobe appeared, using its barrier to protect the Floormaster. This caused Link to become actually angry enough to actually attack the Wizrobe with a well-aimed jump slash. Zelda followed up with an arrow strike of her own against the Wizrobe as well. Nabooru realized that Link and Zelda both found the Floormaster a major annoyance, but having someone protect it while it was knocking most of the group around now agitated them even more. Saria was also getting tired of the Floormaster as it knocked her to the wall, trying to use her vines to constrict the dismembered hand in the process, but the barrier managed to repel the vines, until Nabooru cleaved the Wizrobe in two. This robbed the Floormaster of its only protector, giving Link, Saria and Zelda the opportunity to strike the Floormaster after Ruto stunned it with her Magical Boomerang. The Floormaster was defeated, but still split into three upon its initial defeat. However, the three tiny Floormasters were easily dealt with.  
"So much for that critter." Saria said.  
"But the gates ahead haven't opened up!" Ruto said.  
"Allow me." Nabooru said, sending another Sword Spark towards a crevice she discovered in a wall, striking a crystal switch that opened the gates for the group, allowing them to continue to ascend the tower they were in.

Moving up to the second floor, the group of five just entered the room when they were suddenly ambushed by one of the LAST enemies they wanted to see: A Like-Like! This gelatinous creature succeeded in engulfing the entire group, stripping them of their Shields with the exception of Ruto and Nabooru before spitting them out. However, a Fire Arrow courtesy of Link and Zelda ended the monster quickly, allowing Link, Saria and Zelda to retrieve and re-equip their respective shields, which remained fortunately untouched, due to the rapid recovery and retaliation. Regaining their composure rapidly, Link used his hookshot to let himself and the others reach a pathway going up in a circle to what appeared to be the top floor of the tower, but no sooner had the five landed on the path and began to ascend it all the way up, that they were being confronted by another Bomb Soldier, whom kept throwing bombs at them.  
"Geez, talk about being determined…" Link said as he began to run to the left and right, just to avoid the bombs, just before Ruto encased the group in a barrier of water that knocked the bombs aside, allowing the group to proceed onward to their way to the top.  
"Wait, how do we even get out of here; the passages are too small for us to pass through like this!" Zelda then said.  
"I'm certain we'll find a way, once we're rid of this bozo." Saria said, as the group got ready to deal some punishment to the Bomb Soldier… only to see that yet ANOTHER barrier-generating Wizrobe was protecting it!  
"Okay, NOW I am REALLY pissed!" Link snarled, as he instantly charged at the Wizrobe, slashing at it with a Jump Attack.  
"You're not the only one!" Nabooru said as she performed a Double Spin Attack to decapitate the Wizrobe once it appeared on a different spot after Link's strike forced it to relocate, after which Zelda, Ruto and Saria finished the Bomb Soldier off, before Link used a bomb to demolish a gate that freed a large group of Deku whom were imprisoned behind it. Immediately the group of Deku, after thanking Link and the four Sages, dispersed, some by flight, others by running through the small crevices they could pass through themselves, making their escape out of the tower. The Deku whom were in flight however didn't stop there; once they were out of the tower, they proceeded to the area where Link and his friends entered the whole area in the first place, pelting the resident Bomb Soldiers on the watchtower as well as a Dinolfos guarding the switch to the large gate with their Deku Nuts, killing the fiends in the process.

"Well, at least we found and freed the patrols." Link said.  
"Wait, what are these?" Zelda then asked, looking at some things that appeared to be something like a sled.  
"These are kinda small, don't you think?" Nabooru said.  
"That they are. I wonder what they are for though…" Ruto said.  
"And what's with that star-like figure on the ground in the center of that room?" Saria asked.  
The group looked at the figure Saria was pointing to.  
"That's the same star-shaped figure I've seen on the ground tile of the Ground Floor of this tower." Zelda said.  
"That's weird." Link said, scratching his head as he and the others carefully approached it, eventually standing on it.  
"Hmmm… I wonder what- hey, what the-?!" Link said as a glow appeared from underneath him.  
This same glow also was present underneath the others as well.  
"What's going on?!" Zelda asked, right as the group was lifted up… and promptly SHRANK in size, making them no bigger than a Deku Nut!  
"WHAT IS THIS?!" Nabooru exclaimed, only for the group to fall and land… right on top of a sled each.  
"KYA! I FEEL SO TINY!" Saria said, obviously startled.  
Link however retained his focus.  
"Hmmm… this truly is unexpected, but this can be useful as well." He then said.  
"What do you mean?! Answer us!" Ruto exclaimed.  
"While I admit that being shrunk is as much as a shock for me as it has been for you, I think we can use this to get out of here, considering Zelda did mention about certain walls and passages that we could not pass through on our normal sizes." Link replied.  
"Okay, hot shot, how do you suppose we get out of here?" Nabooru asked.  
"I think these will have to do…" Link said, trying to move on the board he was on, only for the board itself to move with Link on top of it, taking Link with it as it moved over the tiles smoothly.  
Link himself did flail a bit while attempting to move into a comfortable stance that would adjust his weight equally so he would remain standing, but he was on the way out, now moving down the path he first went up while avoiding the bombs from the Bomb soldier. Nabooru did a double-take at this, even more when someone else went to follow Link right away. It was Saria.  
"What are we waiting for?! Let's go after them!" Zelda said as she too made the board she was on move.  
Ruto and Nabooru then turned to each other, before following as well.

As if leading the way, Link managed to find his way down, down the small tunnel that he could now go through, past the gate of the second floor, down to the path to the floor where the Floormaster was fought prior, then all the way down towards the staircase that led to the ground floor, although Link grunted a bit with each step that went down. It almost felt like a race of some sort, although Link went around in circles as he waited for the others. About 10 seconds later, he was joined by Saria, followed by Zelda after another 10 seconds, whom was shortly followed by Ruto and Nabooru. As they directed the sleds in the center on the room towards the star-shaped marking, the marking itself began to glow and engulfed the five, right before restoring them to their normal size as if nothing happened.  
"Whew, I don't think I want to experience something like that ever again." Zelda said.  
"I agree with you on that," Link said, causing Ruto and Nabooru to blink at him, "just because I try to keep my cool in most situations, doesn't mean I have to like it myself. I just did what was necessary and we got what we wanted. So now that the tower has been cleared, there is no further use for us to stay here."  
"I agree, let's get out of here." Saria said, nodding.

As the group exited the tower, they stepped into the current rainy atmosphere, although it had been raining softly so far. Still, the group made a run for it to reach the stone tunnel to get back to the first area, feeling that they could finally progress. Their hopes were initially dashed however as another group of enemies were waiting for them at the opened gate, initially chasing after a Deku. With their fiery appearance, Link instantly grabbed his Hookshot.  
"What are these things?!" Nabooru asked.  
"Flare Dancers!" Link said.  
"But what are they doing out here?!" Zelda asked.  
"I don't know, but I do know that these guys will be trouble! I have my Hookshot, but you can also use Bombs against them to get them out of those suits and then just strike as many times with your blade as you can!" Link said, going to the offensive right away, approaching the nearest one to buy time for the Deku to make its escape as a total of three Flare Dancers have appeared to attack Link's group.  
Taking Link's advice, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru engaged the two other Flare Dancers together, with Nabooru intending to provide cover for Ruto from the flames, while Link singled out the Flare Dancer whom was the closest to the Deku, using his Hookshot to draw the Dancer out of its suit and pull it to him, before smacking it with his sword as many times as he could while chasing after him. The Bombs also proved very effective to knock the Flare suits away, giving chase to the creatures to strike at them several times before they regained their suits, but this time it was colored a blue/purple instead of the fire red/orange/yellow. The group repeated this procedure again, inflicting as much damage as possible while keeping their distance from each other as to prevent getting in each other's way and become distracted. The Flare Dancers managed to regain their flaming suits one more time, this time being two shades of green, still trying to harm the group itself, but Link and the others had none of it and struck again with the Hookshot and/or the bombs respectively, finally managing to defeat the Flare Dancers after several minutes. Nabooru directed her Sword Spark to the switch on top of the fence, activating it and opening the gate finally, so the group could progress. Whatever was burning on vegetation because of the Flare Dancers was quickly extinguished by the rain or because of Princess Ruto summoning small water floods from above to do the job quicker.  
"Whew. After this all we need a vacation." Link said as he sat down on a large stone, with Saria and Zelda sitting down next to him.  
"I couldn't agree with you more." Zelda said, sighing.  
The group was ignoring the rain falling down softly on them as they took a moment to rest a bit.  
"Okay, so what now?" Saria asked.  
"I think progressing is the only option. All things considered, going all the way back is pretty much impossible now, so all we can do now is to continue from here." Link said.  
"True. I just wonder where we will end up once we get out of here." Zelda said.  
"It's pretty much an area between the Southern Swamp and Ikana somewhere, that is if we didn't make it back to Hyrule like this by mere coincidence," Link mused, "makes me wish there was a map of this place so we could see where we are, much less see where we are even going at all."  
"Point taken. At least we're in all this together." Ruto said.  
The group nodded as they looked up at the dark sky, for a moment wondering if a certain owl was passing by in the sky as they saw a silhouette flying over for a few seconds.


	11. Chapter 11: Out of the fray

_Chapter 11: Out of the fray, into the deep_

After resting for several minutes, the group of five battle-worn heroes decided to get moving once again, their new and upgraded equipment still with them as they went through the opened gate and into the cavern ahead, climbing over several crates that were stored there. Link stretched along the way, as did Zelda and Saria. Nabooru frowned at this for a brief moment, but didn't say anything about it. When the group exited the cavern, they found themselves at a dead end; being at one side of a quite calm sea while standing on some lush, green grass field. They also spotted a tunnel-like affair that was leading to an underwater area…  
"Oh, great. Looks like we're at a dead end, unless we go into that tunnel…" Nabooru said.  
"But we can't hold our breath for so long underwater, except for Ruto." Saria said, just as Link went to check out some chests and Zelda was looking at the now-clearing sky, seeing rays of the sun shining through the dark clouds.  
"Well, I'm staying with you guys. I don't want to leave you behind just because I can swim when and wherever I want." Ruto said.  
"Check this out, girls; I think I have found the solution." Link said.  
"Huh?" Zelda asked, moving to investigate.  
"Check it out." Link said, bringing out an outfit that was overall blue in color.  
"Hey, those look like Zora Tunics, but made fitting for children!" Ruto said, recognizing it.  
"And there's one adult variation in too." Zelda said, to Nabooru's delight.  
"Well, looks like we need to change a bit." Link said, looking for a more remote spot while using a Zora knapsack he found in another chest to store his equipment in.  
"Link, where are you going?" Saria asked.  
"I'm going to change my outfit, but I like to do it decently. It would be inappropriate and impolite of me to do this out in the open." Link said.  
The others could see Link's reasoning in this, so they too, except for Ruto, spread up for a bit to change their outfits.

After a couple of minutes, Link reappeared, having put all of his equipment in his Zora backpack, safe for the Hookshot as he has been able to use that in the water before. The others had to store all their equipment in similar backpacks, leaving only Ruto capable of defending herself underwater properly. Once everyone was ready, Link moved to lower himself gently in the water, before swimming on a bit to adapt properly.  
"How is it, Link?" Zelda asked.  
"The water's fine, and with this tunic, staying underwater will be a cinch." He said, as Saria and Zelda also gently lowered themselves in the water, as did Nabooru, while Ruto simply dove in the water.  
"Link is right, the water is indeed quite nice." Saria commented.  
"So, where do you think the tunnel leads to?" Zelda asked.  
"Perhaps to a different part of Termina or even Hyrule…" Link said.  
"Well, there's only one way to be sure of this." Nabooru said.  
"Just stay together and we'll make it safely." Ruto said as the group swam to the tunnel area, eventually forced to move below the surface of the water, but thanks to their Zora Tunics, they were able to survive underneath the water surface.  
In fact, the way the group could speed-swim now reminded Link very much of his Zora form, the form he took to grant Mikau's final requests of retrieving Lulu's eggs and performing with his band, the Indigo-go's once more.

As they moved through the first tunnel, they first came across a room where several statues that had the appearance of Deku Scrubs within the center of it.  
_'Is this something like a ruined shrine or something?' _Link thought as he stopped to look it over.  
_'I think so…'_ Zelda said within his mind.  
_'Wha- how did you do that?'_  
_'It's telepathy, an ability that allows us to talk to each other using our minds."_ Zelda replied back, with Link seeing her smile and nod.  
_'It's like talking to me using my song, but you don't need my song for this occasion, just focus right and you can talk to any of us at any time you please.'_ Saria said, joining in.  
_'It definitely is something to get used to, but I can manage.'_ Link said.  
_'Good.'_ Zelda said.  
The group moved on through the water, entering a second tunnel that led to a huge underwater Coliseum, which was also left in great ruins.  
_'Wow, this place looks like a mess.'_ Ruto said to the others.  
_'Yeah, I wonder who built this whole thing…'_ Nabooru added.  
But just as the group swam onward, a giant Octorok plunged into the arena, sinking up to the level where it was face to face with the heroes… although it did look like an Octorok…  
_'What is this?! This is way different from the usual Octoroks!'_ Zelda exclaimed.  
_'Yeah, it looks like this one is armed to the teeth, as if this one gained intelligence and is in control of some kind of power suit; I recognize some parts that only a Beamos would have!'_ Link said.  
_'He's gonna attack!'_ Nabooru said as a warning as a hatch opened up, revealing a fish-like creature that had something similar akin to a Debresko, but looked more bulky and appeared to be releasing enemies that looked like the usual Bubbles, being a skull with wings but was having a red-glowing trail at the backside instead of having a glow enveloping them completely, which meant that these were being controlled.  
_'Great, we're being attacked from two sides and we have little room to strike back!'_ Saria said.  
_'Then we need to change our tactics to adapt. Perhaps those Bubbles can be of use…'_ Link said as he swam on, but the Bubbles began to chase them, causing the group to disperse and try to shake their pursuers off.  
However, with his previous encounters with the Octoroks, Link remembered that they could have their attacks turned against them by reflecting their rock projectiles back at them and, in case of the Big Octo he faced in the innards of Lord Jabu-Jabu, he also knew that their backsides were vulnerable as well. Getting an idea, Link swam on, letting the Bubble chase him as he went on, circling around the Giant Octorok as he went on. Saria and Zelda saw him go and went to follow him, wanting to see what he was up to, also being chased by the same Bubbles. Ruto and Nabooru even caught on as well, joining the fray along. Once Link reached the backside of the Giant Octorok, he swam directly for it so he was making sure the Bubble was still following him, right before Link braced himself… and in a swift motion pulled off a 'barrel roll' to the side, watching as the Bubble passed him by… and struck the Giant Octorok in the backside with success, damaging it!  
_'Bullseye!'_ Link said triumphantly, before noticing the others had seen it too and on their turn began to follow Link's actions in a way, as Nabooru moved to somersault over the Bubble chasing her instead.  
The Octorok was hit indeed several times, right before it turned around to face the group, bringing out the Beamos' main head-like sphere containing the 'eye' and fired its laser at the group, trying to hit them. Of course, the group moved away from the laser as best as they could, leading to the laser chasing them in a way. After about a minute or so, the Giant Octorok stopped firing his laser and let the Debresko-like creature fire the Homing Bubbles again to add on the pressure to the group, now beginning to shoot rocks at them on intervals to make it harder for them…

"Excuse me, but can you tell me where we can find Link?" Navi then asked a monkey upon arriving at the Woods of Mystery.  
"You mean the forest child with his four friends? They went into a different area to save a group of Deku being imprisoned there." The monkey said.  
"And where is this land?" Tatl asked.  
"It's right up through the Woods of Mystery. Follow me, I'll lead you to it." The monkey said, moving off, with Navi, Tatl and Tael following.  
"I hope things won't get so hectic like last time…" Tatl said.  
"Trust me, with beings like Ganondorf around, it will." Navi said.  
"Is he that bad?" Tael asked.  
"Trust me, regardless of Majora's power, Ganondorf is way more powerful. It required the combined efforts of Link, Princess Zelda and his closest friends who became Sages to put Ganondorf down… but because of that Triforce of Power in his hand, he must have somehow escaped." Navi said.  
"Triforce of Power?" Tatl parroted.  
"Yes. It's part of a holy relic known as the Triforce. Legends say that whoever finds and touches it will have their wish granted, provided their heart is in balance. If so, it will lead Hyrule to an era of peace and prosperity. If not, the Triforce will split and Hyrule would fall to darkness. " Navi said.  
"So the Triforce of Power is once piece, right? How many are there?"  
"There's two more pieces: Courage and Wisdom. The former is in possession of Link, which explains why he has the determination to continue to do what he believes is right, while the Triforce of Wisdom is in the possession of Princess Zelda."  
"Wow…" Tael said, impressed.  
"And I take it that Ganondorf is after Link and Zelda to get those other pieces?" Tatl asked.  
"That's right. How did you know?" Navi asked.  
"It sounded somewhat obvious to me to be honest. Ganondorf didn't get the whole thing, so he wants those two last pieces to have complete power. Greedy people tend to do something like that if what they have so far isn't enough for them."  
"Good point." Navi said as the three followed their monkey guide.

Majora couldn't believe his eyes; so far Link and the Sages were able to conquer the enemies that have faced them so far, despite what's thrown at them! But what aggravated him more was that Ganondorf just let them walk around like that.  
"A rupee for your thoughts, Majora?" Ganondorf asked.  
"I still don't understand why you let those fools walk around so freely." Majora said.  
"I can see you may have questions. After all, you have faced Link in only a few days, while I had to deal with him in a span of years. The reason I let those kids and Nabooru walk around is that I simply want to see the looks on their faces once they succeed in reuniting with those other Sages and seek to confront us. Besides, the more we learn of their current capabilities, the better we can prepare ourselves in case they decide to face us for real." Ganondorf said.  
"So you're simply studying them in this manner?" Majora said.  
"Yes. I have underestimated that kid and his friends altogether, hence I am seeking to find a different fashion to reach our goals as a precaution. And considering that Link cares a lot about his friends, I say they we shouldn't separate them… having him join his friends in their demise will definitely crush his spirit for sure…" Ganondorf said with a rather dark chuckle.  
_'And people say I am the vilest being around…'_ Majora said with a grin on his face as he went on, cursing a group of brave yet foolish soldiers whom tried to attack their fort, turning them into ReDeads as a result.

The group of five were still fighting the Giant Octorok and while the beast has sustained quite the damage, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru didn't end up unscathed either, partially due to being constantly pelted with rocks from the Octorok and its laser beam from the Beamos' ruins has managed to zap Link, Saria and Zelda once, although the water did soothe the wounds so it was nothing major other than a slight burning marks on the back. Still, they kept going and redirected its attacks back at it along the way, after several more shots the Giant Octorok finally collapsed as it sunk to the ground floor of the arena, defeated, right before it disintegrated into nothingness, together with the Debresko-like enemy as it was connected with the Giant Octorok. This eventually left the five alone in the arena, slightly injured, but nonetheless still able to move on. The five swam to each other first to see if they were alright.  
_'Whew, this was totally different than the time I spent in both the Water and Great Bay Temples…'_ Link said.  
_'Was it that bad?'_ Zelda asked.  
_'Well, the Great Bay Temple featured quite the complex waterworks systems that regulated the currents within the temple. The Water Temple was a bit easier as it only required the raising/lowering of the water level.'_ Link said.  
_'Wow, this confirms you have been through a lot…'_ Saria said.  
_'Come on, there's nothing else left for us to do here.'_ Nabooru said, patting Link and Zelda on the shoulder, making the two smile, before they swam onwards through the now-opened gate.

Passing through the opened gate, the group entered another underwater tunnel that for the rest sported no trace of any statues, just here and there some ruins of previously built structures and large slabs of stone that laid on the bottom. But for the rest, the five were alone as there was no other enemy in sight.  
_'Things must have changed here over time for sure.'_ Ruto said.  
_'Yeah, it does add to the mystery I might add…'_ Zelda said.  
_'I can see the surface up ahead, looks like we've found the exit of the place.'_ Saria said.  
_'Makes me wonder how far we've actually traveled underwater.'_ Link said.  
_'Considering how big these tunnels and the arena were, I'd say that we must have made quite a trip.'_ Nabooru said.  
As the group swam on, they eventually were guided to the surface and, once out of the water, they climbed on one of the bridges, taking in fresh gulps of air, although Ruto had little difficulty with this.  
"Wow, it must have been some time since we've been on the surface; the air has been cleared mostly of the clouds." Link said, looking at the air.  
"Yeah, I can see the sun shining further up in the distance." Saria said.  
"Wait, what's with those dark clouds in the far distance?" Zelda asked, pointing to a series of dark, menacing looking clouds about quite a distance away.  
"It's surrounding a building or something, I can't really tell, but it appears those clouds are not normal; they are circling around instead of spreading or moving." Nabooru said.  
"Then that must be the new castle of Ganondorf and Majora! I think we could possibly be somewhere in Hyrule itself!" Link said.  
"In Hyrule?! But where?! This is obviously not anywhere close near Lake Hylia!" Ruto said.  
"My own guess would be somewhere near the Lost Woods, or even close to the Kokiri Forest, considering the trees in the distance, although the building ahead seems out of place." Saria said.  
"I wonder where this actually leads to…" Nabooru said.  
"There's only one way to find out for sure, but we could also be in the no man's land between Hyrule and Termina." Link said.  
"It appears we have little choice than just go in there to investigate." Ruto said.  
"At least most of us can change back to our regular outfits and switch back to our regular gear." Zelda said.  
The group then made their way across the bridges and headed into the building, taking their time as the wet clothes did weigh down a bit.

"I can feel them coming closer…" An elderly Hylian said as he stood on a large hexagon-shaped platform, with underneath his feet stood a smaller hexagon shaped pedestal with engraved on it was the symbol that was related to the Light Medallion. It was Rauru, the eldest of the Seven Sages.  
"How long do you think it will take for them to get here and reunite with us?" Impa said as she stood on her pedestal, associated with the Shadow Medallion.  
"I do not know for sure, but it won't be long now. Perhaps a couple of days or so, give or take an hour." Rauru said.  
"Brother Link definitely won't rest until he has saved us. It's something I do admire of the boy; he may be a young kid, but his heart and spirit burst forth with the fire of courage that could only be seen by an adult. He definitely is a man in his own right." Darunia, leader of the Gorons and the Fire Sage said.  
"That's most definitely correct. And so far they have prevailed, but neither we nor they must grow careless." Impa said.  
"Indeed. Ganondorf has proven to be far more dangerous than we thought, especially with the Triforce of Power in his hands…" Rauru said.  
Impa herself looked upwards, concern on her face.  
_'Link… Zelda… please… be safe…'_ She thought to herself as she couldn't do anything except for waiting…

Further in the building, the group except for Ruto changed back into their regular outfits, while trying to dry their Zora outfits off, before storing them away.  
"Alright, let's see what we have here." Nabooru said as she was ready to continue…  
The group continued on after a minutes, walking along the apparent empty building, until they heard a door closing down behind them as they arrived in what they believed to be the center room…  
"Now what?" Nabooru asked.  
"I don't know… and what disturbs me is the room being empty…" Link said, scratching his head.  
"Hmmm, maybe we need to go in where the light comes from…" Saria said.  
"I think that's the only way; the door behind us is locked, so we can't go back." Zelda said.  
"And why are our voices echoing here?" Ruto asked.  
"I don't know… maybe if we just continue on, we may see where we are." Link said.  
"It's only for the best; I don't want to stick around in such an empty place." Zelda said, after which the group moved on, climbing into the room where the bright light was coming from.  
The group walked along a stone path for some time, before the area turned dark, as if they were in a tunnel. Eventually, they reached the exit of the tunnel and found themselves on a cliff that overlooked a vast forest.  
"Where are we?" Nabooru asked.  
"Look! I can see the Great Deku Tree to our right!" Saria then exclaimed, pointing to the withered remains of what once was a glorious, giant tree that had a face on it.  
"You're right, Saria! We must be in Hyrule then." Link said.  
"Then that means we can go and get the others!" Zelda said.  
"True, but first we need to get down from here…" Nabooru said.  
"I can see a path going down here, but it's with steps, so don't jump off the wrong way." Zelda said, nodding.  
The group carefully proceeded to either jump or climb their way down, not wanting to take any risks as they made their way downwards into the forest, making their way towards the Kokiri Village.

"So, they're at the forest…" Ganondorf said, sensing it.  
"So, what do you want to do? Send a hit squad after them?" Majora asked.  
"No, I have a better idea. Raise the tower at the old Hyrule Castle. It's time we should get reacquainted with our 'old friends'. Make sure our forces don't disturb them or their reunion. I want them to think that they've caught us by surprise, while in fact, we have the surprise for them…" He said.  
Majora nodded, liking the sound of that plan. He was already feeling almost sorry for Link and his friends… almost…


	12. Chapter 12: Hyrule's Darkest Day

_Chapter 12: Hyrule's darkest day…_

It took the group several hours on foot, but eventually they entered the Kokiri Forest, right in the area behind Link's tree house. The village itself seemed practically untouched, as if the Deku Tree Sprout did its job of watching over the Kokiri well. It had been growing steadily over the time Link went towards Termina and came back, up to the point of where Ganondorf and Majora launched their attack. The Kokiri themselves were elated at seeing Link and the others back in their forest, welcoming them with open arms. Even Mido was happy to see them all safe and sound, welcoming Link back even with more respect than when Link first went to the Deku Tree to liberate it from its curse. It also allowed the group to have some decent rest as well, being now in a more safe environment as they relaxed.  
"Whew, that was quite a trip." Saria said as she sat on the bed next to Link while staying in his house.  
"Yeah, it was. We've managed to get through it so far, but the main challenge lies before is." Zelda said.  
"We should be able to pull through, although we mustn't get stressed up. I freely admit, I am just as nervous as you are, but we just need to clear our heads and maintain focus." Link said.  
"True, the fate of Hyrule and Termina depends on our actions… or what Ganondorf and Majora will do…" Nabooru said.  
"Yeah. It brings shivers down my spine to know what he's capable of…" Ruto said.  
"I honestly can't tell who's the worst out of either of them…" Link said with a shudder.  
"Probably Majora from what I learned, but Ganondorf is just way more powerful…" Zelda said, shuddering as well.  
"Maybe a good night's sleep can clear our thoughts a bit," Nabooru said, "after all we need every help that we can get."  
"True. Let's hope that we won't have nightmares that may make things worse…" Zelda said.  
The group then prepared themselves to go to bed. While Nabooru and Ruto temporarily went into Saria's house for the night, both Saria and Zelda had a sleepover inside Link's house, which in turn would ensure that either of them could seek comfort by the others, in case a nightmare did come through…

The next day, the group set out towards Hyrule Field, making their way to the ruined Hyrule Castle Town through the day, finding it somehow more at peace over the day, although a few Poes tried to be a bother, but were taken out rather quickly. Still, the field itself looked as if hell had rained down on it. Even though most of the blood from the fallen soldiers and all have been washed away by the rain over time, it was still evident through the ruins and the enemies present in the distance that the once glorious field wasn't what it used to be anymore. It saddened Zelda to see the field in such a ruined state, observing the ruined castle walls and the debris that still laid around in front of the moat. Seeing this, Link put a hand on Zelda's shoulder.  
"I'm sure we can eventually fix this once it's all over… but until then…" He said.  
"I know, it's just that so many good men and women perished in this attack…" Zelda said.  
"Then we must make sure they did not die in vain." Nabooru said.  
The only odd thing was that Lon Lon Ranch still remained intact, but only time would be able to tell for how long that would stay, considering Ganondorf did want to take over ALL of Hyrule first, before heading to Termina…

As the group reached the Castle Town, they dealt with the ReDeads with Link playing the Sun's Song, freezing the ReDeads, allowing Link and Zelda to take out those ReDeads that were in the way by using Din's Fire, effectively clearing a path to the Ruined Temple of Time. There they began to work together on clearing the path to the Pedestal of Time, using their Power Gloves (and for Link the Goron's Bracelet) to their advantage as they all worked together to move the rubble aside, clearing the path in a span of about an hour or two, partially due to also taking breaks to prevent becoming too tired or too sore.  
"Man, they really wanted to destroy our only chance of re-sealing Ganondorf up again…" Zelda said as she carried a big stone to the side with Link.  
"Yeah, which makes it possibly harder to find an alternative." Link said.  
"Perhaps the other Sages may know more about it…" Nabooru said, helping Saria and Ruto with a bigger piece.  
"Maybe. Where there is a will, there is a way." Saria said.  
"True indeed." Nabooru said again, her spirit flaring with determination.

Eventually they came across the Pedestal of Time and, after getting close around it, they were transported into the Chamber of the Sages, where they were FINALLY reunited with Impa, Darunia and Rauru, whom welcomed them back with open arms, happy to have them back among them. During this reunion, the group explained their adventures up to the current point, where Majora had sent them, the Stalfos Ambush in Termina Field, the encounter with Sakon in Romani Ranch, the cursed dream Majora placed on Link and Zelda, the visit and the cavern in Snowhead, their battle against the Iron Knuckle, the following trip to the Southern Swamp and the Deku Palace and their trip to the unknown land featuring the tower of Light. The three remaining Sages listened with interest as the five explained their trip and the troubles that came along with it, but having prevailed through it so far.  
"You truly are heroes for having pulled through all that." Rauru said.  
Zelda and Link both went to Impa, hugging her.  
"Why the hug?" Impa asked.  
"It's our thanks to you for having saved us of becoming a Dead Hand's snack in that cursed nightmare courtesy of Majora." Zelda said.  
"It's no problem at all." Impa said, smiling as she returned the hug that Link and Saria both gave her.  
Saria was touched at this, while Nabooru laid a hand on her shoulder, making the forest girl smile.  
"As much as I would love the reunion to continue, we have more important matters to deal with." Darunia said.  
"Right, beating Ganondorf and Majora is our main priority. Now that we're united once again, we can ensure that we will be victorious. Once that is over, we will attend to what is left, which includes the purification of that cursed mask you carry, Link." Rauru said.  
Link nodded.  
"Apparently you must have heard my plea to have the Fierce Deity's Mask purified." He said.  
"That we have and rest assured that the evil inside will be vanquished, so you will be free to utilize its power for what you're fighting for." Impa said.  
"Brother, you're the greatest hero this world can wish for. This mission may be risky and perhaps even suicidal, knowing what our nemeses are capable of, but to save our people… songs of this day will be sung for EONS to come!" Darunia said, showcasing his fighting spirit as a Goron leader.  
"Right." The others said, preparing to move out.

With the reunion of Link and the Seven Sages complete, the group set off towards the lair of Majora and Ganondorf, with Link having taken the Master Sword with him.  
"How come I could accept the Master Sword now?" Link then asked.  
"Apparently your deeds in Termina have made you more than worthy of being a hero, since you simply do what you think is the right thing to do." Impa said.  
"At least we have a chance to beat them now." Rauru said, confident that Ganondorf and Majora both will meet their demise soon enough.  
The group moved through the ruins of the desolated town, on the pathway to the ruins of Hyrule Castle, of which a few towers appeared to have been rebuilt or otherwise survived, just remodeled into something that would fit Ganondorf more.  
"Are they up there?" Saria asked.  
"It's our best guess, the dark clouds bellowing here are really strong." Impa said.  
"Alright then, let's go." Link said, as the group made their way towards the tower, while wishing each other the best of luck while underway.  
This time there was a bridge that led to the tower, as if they were simply 'invited' in. This did unnerve Nabooru a bit, but she kept moving with the others. She seemed rather suspicious of the whole matter, as if she had made plans of her own. Link was ready to take out any enemy that came his way, but to his surprise, there were no enemies around… there wasn't even a barrier blocking the central shaft leading to the staircase to the top. This only unnerved him more as his fingers were itching to grab his sword and shield at a mere moment's notice as the group scaled the stairway to what they believed to be the final battle.

"They're coming, Ganondorf." Majora said, observing the group entering the tower.  
"Good, everything goes according to plan. We'll make their little reunion rather short-lived…" Ganondorf said, standing up as he moved towards the top of the tower, Majora following.  
"Are you certain this will keep them off our backs for a while?" Majora then asked.  
"Of course. Knowing them, it's only a matter of time they will snap or find another way to try and beat us… but as long as time is on our side…" Ganondorf said, chuckling.  
A dark chuckle echoed across the room as the two had made their leave, indicating that the trap was set…

Link and the Seven Sages were surprised at one thing; they didn't come across a single form of opposition as the ascended the tower.  
"This is weird, normally we would have come across some of their strongest forces by now." Darunia said.  
"Then either they are overconfident or they want us at our best…" Zelda said.  
"…or it could possibly be a trap." Rauru said.  
"Keep your eyes and ears open." Impa said.  
"I suddenly have a bad feeling about this…" Link said.  
"We all have, kid. Just be strong; we'll make it." Nabooru said as they continued on and on…  
"Now I understand what you meant with the staircase in that Light Tower we ventured in." Zelda said, noting the long stairway.  
"Yeah. It's best not to fall down from here." Saria said.  
Rauru seemed rather calm, while Nabooru gulped a little.

After what seemed like an hour, the group finally arrived at the top of the tower, standing on a platform on the outside, the dark clouds bellowing above them. Each of them were on guard, their weapons drawn, although Darunia pumped his fists and Rauru was ready to cast his Light-based spells on the enemy.  
"Where are they?!" Impa asked.  
"Looking for someone?" A dark voice rang above.  
It was then that the group looked up, seeing Ganondorf and Majora floating above the ground.  
"How lovely, a reunion between a forest kid and his closest friends… how poetic, don't you think?" Majora said.  
"It is indeed… It's too bad we have to put an end to it so soon." Ganondorf said, smirking.  
"Why don't you go back to that cursed realm you broke out from and stay there?!" Darunia snarled.  
"My, my, what a temper. It is fitting however for someone like you." Ganondorf said.  
"You monster!" Zelda shouted.  
"Tut-tut princess, that's no way to talk to your new King this way." Ganondorf then replied.  
"Maybe we should teach you some more discipline! HYA!" Majora said, before firing a lightning ball at the young princess.  
Before Zelda could react however, Link pushed her out of the way, taking the shot for her. Link yelped as he felt the electricity surging around his body, but he remained standing, his grip on the Master Sword tightening.  
"HOW DARE YOU!" Saria then snarled at Majora, while Zelda helped Link up.  
"Awww, is our forest child hurt because of seeing her friend in pain?!" Majora cooed teasingly as if mocking her.  
"Majora! That is no way to attack someone while you know people who care a lot about that person can take the shot for them like that out of pure reaction!" Ganondorf then said.  
This made Link and the Sages blink, effectively dropping their guard. Ganondorf scolding Majora for what he did? What was going on?!  
"If you want to bring them pain, you should make them SHARE it!" Ganondorf said, before launching a larger electric blast, that struck the group head on.  
Darunia was able to resist it in a way, as did Rauru, but the others were screaming as the electricity surged through their bodies, the pain being nigh unbearable. As the group collapsed, Majora used a binding spell that kept the Sages to the ground, while Ganondorf himself picked up Link.  
"I have to admit this, kid; you're one of the bravest people I've faced in my life. It is only a shame that this must end." Ganondorf said, right before slugging Link in the stomach, causing Link to double over in pain.  
"LINK!" Saria and Zelda both shouted, trying to break free of the spell.  
"The… pain…" Link said, trying to stand upright, only to get hit in the stomach again, causing Link to lose his lunch in the process.  
Ganondorf didn't stop there as he hit Link in the face twice, nearly breaking his jaw, before smashing him down on the ground, causing Link to bounce off the floor and landing in front of Zelda. The princess watched in horror as Link was now visibly injured, blood seeping from wounds on his head, arms and the stomach area, but then she saw Link still trying to get up. This made Ganondorf go wide-eyed.  
"Even after all this you're still determined to fight? You're one persistent fellow. Very well then, take your best shot." Ganondorf said, spreading his arms wide.  
Majora blinked at this, as did the Sages. What was Ganondorf up to?! Link himself however gathered the courage that he had, before he charged at Ganondorf, at this time only seeing red.  
"GANONDOOOOOOORF!" Link hollered as he charged with the Master Sword in hand, ready to strike hard!  
"LINK, WAIT!" Impa said.  
Link however was now really mad and charged at Ganondorf, plunging his sword into Ganondorf's abdomen… or he believed so as Ganondorf's face did show an expression of pain… that was, before Ganondorf let out an evil chuckle.  
"Heh, heh, heh… nice shot, kid. You nearly got me. Actually, you got me in my side, quite a feat for such a brave kid…" He said, savoring the look of horror on the young hero, even more when Ganondorf simply grabbed the Master Sword on the blade, not even caring that the tip had some of Ganondorf's blood on it… he simply took the blow as if it was nothing to him!  
"You won't be needing this anymore." Ganondorf said, before ripping the sword out of Link's hand and callously tossed it off the tower without even looking, depriving the hero of the one blade that could possibly harm him fatally, making Link watch in shock as the Master Sword was just thrown aside like it was a piece of scrap metal!  
"I'll come to get your powers later… but for now…" Ganondorf said as he gripped Link by the neck, holding him up in the air, before sending a wave of dark electricity onto the young hero.  
Both Zelda and Saria were crying as they helplessly watched Ganondorf torturing Link like this, his agonizing howls tearing into their souls. Ruto and Nabooru were struggling to get free, but they too were tearing up at hearing Link's outcries. Their horror was even amplified as Link's body momentarily went limp in Ganondorf's grasp.  
"So much for Hyrule's hero… what a shame. You could have been something else in life… too bad. Nonetheless, I do have some form of respect for you, kid; you were definitely one of the more interesting opponents. However, it's time to end this… and you shouldn't worry about where you'll be going… you won't be alone for long…" Ganondorf said with a dark chuckle, before tossing Link in the air, before kicking him straight off the tower and out of sight within seconds, traveling through the air rapidly… and then he was gone, as if he was never present to begin with…  
"LINK! NOOOOOOOOOO!" Saria screamed in horror, while the other Sages watched in utter shock, although Majora was laughing his head off, being his usual sadistic self.  
It was then that they heard someone else breaking free of the binding spell, before promptly charging at Ganondorf, striking him with another blade in the leg. Ganondorf winced at this, before looking down. At the same time, Impa's eyes widened in horror as she saw who did it.  
"ZELDA!" She shouted.  
"You vile, wretched monster!" Zelda snarled at Ganondorf… who looked rather amused at seeing the princess having gone into action like that…  
"Well, it appears that Link has been teaching you a thing or two… I even suspect you like him a lot… considering you did this after I dealt with your friend…" Ganondorf said, before pulling Zelda's blade out of his leg, after which he gut-punched Zelda in the same fashion as he did with Link, before lifting her up in the air, amused as Zelda was gasping for air, being now at his mercy.  
"Since you like him so much, I've decided to not capture you this time… instead… you can join him!" Ganondorf said, before using his dark magic to blast Zelda away in the same direction as Link, much to the horror of Impa, who couldn't even shout as Zelda's scream of fear and pain went through the bones of her very being.  
"As for you, Forest Girl…" Majora then said, using his tentacles to hoist Saria up in the air, "You can keep them company as well."  
With that, Majora first released a surge of electricity through Saria, causing the Forest girl to scream in agony as she was electrocuted, before being tossed away after Link and Zelda as if she was a mere piece of garbage. As Saria was sent flying, she could see that Ruto was being picked up next by Majora, while Ganondorf was punching Nabooru in the stomach… which could only mean that they would be next…

Link was unable to think because of the pain he was feeling throughout the descent he was making now, straight over the Lost Woods and towards the forest area between Hyrule and Termina. He didn't just land in the area, however; his body was skidding over the ground, rolling and tumbling backwards, right before he crashed with his back and head against the rocky surface of a cliff, which also destroyed his shield in the process as he felt it shatter into numerous pieces. The impact against the rocky cliff already dazed Link pretty much, but it didn't stop there as he fell all the way down the cliff with the fragments of his shield around him, losing most of his other equipment along the way, one of which being his bow and arrows…  
_'He's…. too… strong…'_ were Link's last thoughts as he fell all the way down in a darker part of the forest, straight into a shallow pond of water. He didn't move after he landed… although the water around him began to color a faint, crimson red… as he laid there on his back, blood seeping from the newly made injuries, coupled with a small stream of blood seeping from his mouth, he couldn't help to release his emotions as tears fell from his eyes, feeling himself growing weaker with the second…

After seeing Ruto and Nabooru being sent flying was more than Impa could stand. Gathering her own energy, she brought her hands together, which began to glow a deep purple.  
"Shadow Medallion, release!" She then said, as her own shadow grew and enveloped Darunia and Rauru in turn, covering them in gusts of purple smoke to distract Ganondorf and Majora, before she let Darunia, Rauru and herself sink in the grown shadow, before vanishing altogether, leaving Ganondorf and Majora alone on the tower as the smoke vanished and the giant shadow was gone as if it wasn't there to begin with.  
"What?! They escaped!" Majora said.  
"Hmph. No matter, we'll deal with those three in time. For now, let's go back to our real fortress and relish in the fact that we have beaten Link." Ganondorf said, before he left.  
"And you're letting them just go?" Majora asked.  
"I'll deal with those three later, I said. Let them mourn their losses for a while before they will join them. Once there, we'll take all of their powers and make Hyrule and Termina ours forever. And even if they decide to try anything, we'll just make sure that we're more than ready for them. As long as I have the Triforce of Power in my hand, they can't stop me." Ganondorf said, apparently satisfied for now and determined to make his rule over Hyrule absolute. Once Hyrule was completely under the control of Majora and himself, Termina would be the next to follow.

Impa, Darunia and Rauru found themselves back in Hyrule Field, as Impa had used her Shadow Medallion to pull herself, Darunia and Rauru in the shadows and through this take them away from the tower, re-emerging back in front of the castle, as if she had been using her Sheikah abilities together with her Shadow Sage powers to teleport the surviving group to safety. However, the three were unable to rest, as Impa was frantically making a dash for the forest area, forcing Darunia and Rauru to follow.  
"This is preposterous; how did Ganondorf get so strong?!" Darunia asked.  
"I think the alliance with Majora must have given him a power boost, but what unsettles me more is that he simply attacked us like that; normally he would try to take the Triforce Pieces that Link and Zelda have in their possession." Rauru said.  
"Perhaps Majora must have held some kind of influence over him… besides he did say that he would come and get those powers later on… he just…" Darunia said, unable to find the words that would properly express what he had witnessed.  
Rauru said nothing as the three entered the Lost Woods area, making their way along to what Impa believed the others were sent to. On their way, a few Stalfos tried to be a bother, but in her own frantic state, Impa simply tore them apart without even looking and just continued on, although she did thank Darunia and Rauru for providing her cover as she went to search herself.

The search continued on for about an hour or so, but not a single trace was found of the group, which in turn nearly drove Impa insane with worry, causing her to fear the worst. She still kept looking nonetheless, but then she heard Darunia calling to her.  
"Impa, take a look at this!" He said, apparently having found something.  
When both Impa and Rauru came to take a look, they could see a small brook running along softly… but the water had an unsettling red color to it. Darunia bent a little to touch the water, before bringing it up to his mouth to taste it…  
"What the- this has a rather metallic taste to it… as if this water is mixed with blood!" Darunia said, his eyes going wide.  
"No… oh no…" Impa said, looking at the stream before running in the opposite direction as she intended to locate the source.  
Darunia and Rauru also followed, worry being etched on their faces. Both men didn't say anything, the labored breathing of Impa pretty much speaking for them. The search continued on for about a few minutes, until Impa finally found its source. She immediately froze in her tracks, gasping in utter shock and horror as she stood there, hands in front of her mouth. As Darunia and Rauru came to investigate, they too froze in horror at what they saw. The small brook started in a pond, also containing red water… and in the center of the pond laid five bodies… their outfits tattered and torn, their bodies broken… and each of them laid still, not moving an inch… their eyes and mouths were closed… but their appearance was unmistaken… they had found the missing five…  
"No… dear Goddesses, no!" Impa said as she walked on towards them, moving to the body of Princess Zelda, whom laid still on her stomach, one of her hands lying onto one of Link's.  
Impa picked Zelda's body carefully up, cradling as if she moved to try and find a pulse… she found none.  
"Zelda..." Impa then said, trying to get her to react, but Zelda remained unresponsive, even after Impa gently shook Zelda's body, praying to herself that she was alive, resulted in no response.  
Checking once more for a pulse, Impa was horrified that she once again found nothing… and that Zelda wasn't even breathing at all. Then the realization struck her like one of Ganondorf's dark magic attacks… Princess Zelda was dead. She already began to tear up at this, but then she saw Darunia standing over Link's body. Seeing her, Darunia sighed and shook his head sadly… which meant that Link too was dead.  
"And the others?" Impa asked with a hoarse voice, shuddering.  
Rauru shook his head, having investigated the still bodies of Saria, Ruto and Nabooru one by one.  
"I'm sorry, Impa… they were gone before we could get to them." He said, which was more than enough for her to break down and cry, cradling Zelda's deceased body closely, feeling as if she had failed her duty as her attendant.  
Darunia on his turn gazed sadly upon Link's body, noting the injuries he had suffered before his death. He also noted that Saria laid next to him, almost as if she had spent the last of her powers to try and reach Link before succumbing to her injuries, the end result being, like Zelda, succeeding in placing one of her hands on top of his. Darunia shook his head again, remaining firm despite he was hurting on the inside more than people could see.  
"You've been one of the bravest people I've ever seen in my life, brother," He said, referring to Link as his Sworn Brother after he had opened the road to Dodongo's Cavern and got rid of the Dodongo infestation that was plaguing the cavern and depriving the Gorons of their primary food source, "rest in peace."  
Rauru on his turn looked at the fallen bodies of Princess Ruto and Nabooru, both of them also showing multiple lacerations and wounds on their bodies. Nabooru's right arm also laid in a rather unnatural angle, which indicated that it was broken because of either Ganondorf or upon impact on the ground. Ruto on the other hand sported several burning marks, as if she was nearly fried to death because of Majora, as he witnessed the masked villain picking her up after tossing Saria away like a rag doll.  
"I've been a fool," Rauru lamented, "I thought that, united as one group, we would be able to defeat our nemeses once and for all. I have underestimated Ganondorf and Majora both, as well as the strength the former has because of the Triforce of Power, which fueled his dark desires. But be sure that I will not rest until the damage done to you has been repaired. This I swear as the Sage of Light."  
Darunia then went to Impa, putting a hand on her shoulder.  
"Let's go and relocate elsewhere. We'll take their bodies with us so they won't fall in enemy hands." He said.  
The mourning Sage of Shadow nodded, picking up Zelda's body, while Darunia carried Link and Saria's bodies and Rauru took the bodies of Nabooru and Ruto with him. As the three left, carrying the bodies of their fallen comrades, they gazed sadly upon the pond where they have met their demise one more time, before retreating further in the forest. Oddly enough, Rauru was taking the lead, as if he knew a place to settle for the time being. Darunia also took the bags that contained most of the equipment that was able to be salvaged from the remains, but the group's shields being damaged beyond repair and were left behind as a memento of the tragedy that had befallen the group and in turn the land of Hyrule itself.

Unaware to the three remaining Sages, they were being watched by three other beings, whom appeared from behind one of the trees. It were three fairies, one in blue, the other in yellow and the third one being in a dark crimson red. The blue fairy had her wings down in sadness, causing the other two to fly next to her and try to comfort her. No words were spoken between them as they moved to fly after the retreating group, intending to join them. The blue one was shaking along the way, as if she was visibly crying and the yellow fairy wasn't too far off either…


	13. Chapter 13: Contemplation

_Chapter 13: Contemplation_

Only a few hours had passed after the miscalculated fight, which had dire consequences for the once fabled Sages. It was clear that Ganondorf was powerful enough to defy the gods… and all because of the Triforce of Power he had in his possession. Now that five of the foremost people who could help in vanquishing this evil have been killed, it appeared that all hope had been lost.

Impa was crying non-stop as she carried Zelda's corpse along with her, following the direction that Rauru was walking. Rauru himself seemed to be brooding, blaming himself for miscalculating and underestimating Ganondorf's cunning and power, while carrying the bodies of Nabooru and Ruto with him. Darunia however looked worse for wear. Sure he remained firm and everything, but on the inside he was an emotional wreck. But who could blame him? The merciless torture of the group by Ganondorf had impacted them severely, but with the cruelty of how the five were slain made him also outright furious. The entire trip went silent, although underway, the three did notice the presence of the three fairies who had been following them. Impa, Darunia and Rauru were able to recognize Navi, but remained silent as Navi flew toward Link's body, trying to fly all over him like when they first met for a second or two, only to settle down on his body with her wings hanging low. Much to Tael's own surprise, Tatl eventually joined Navi on top of Link's body, although she wasn't exactly crying as Navi was, it was still clear that Tatl was definitely sad and mourning his loss… apparently she was still in denial of having grown attached to him.  
"Who are you two?" Darunia asked the red fairy as he flew in front of him.  
"My name's Tael, and the yellow fairy on Link's body is my sister Tatl." Tael said.  
"You know Link?"  
"Well, sort of. I don't know him very well, but my sister was at his side during his trip in Termina when that mask-possessed Skull Kid was wrecking havoc in that distant land. Apparently she has grown a bit attached to him." Tael said.  
Tatl tried to talk back to her brother, obviously trying to deny this, but her own emotional state prevented her from doing so, or even admitting that she had grown to like him.  
"I see." Darunia said as the group walked on.  
"So, where are you going?" Tael asked.  
"Rauru's leading us to a place where we can lay low for a while until we've found a way to bring our friends back. But until then, we have to be sure their bodies remain…" Darunia said, walking on.  
Rauru eventually looked up as they saw their destination.  
"We're here." Rauru said as he entered a cavern, with Darunia, Impa and the fairies following.

The group entered what appeared to be a small Ice Cave, which had a path going up straight ahead towards another opening. The walls themselves looked a beautifully sapphire-blue with ice crystals all over, and the chilling atmosphere within made it feel like they were high up in the mountains or in the polar regions of the planet. They walked onward into the opening, which turned out to be a small yet beautiful Fairy's Fountain up ahead, with a large Fairy statue in the middle of the room. Walking to the far side of the room itself, Darunia first gently laid the bodies of Link and Saria down, before he unleashed his frustration by striking the opposite wall with a powerful yet focused punch, creating a large crevice inside it. Using his Fire Sage powers to smoothen the icy surface and get rid of the shards after which the area cooled down rapidly, Darunia then picked up the bodies of the two children and laid them inside the crevice next to each other. Once that was done, Impa laid Zelda's body down next to Link's other side, with Rauru placing Ruto next to Zelda and Nabooru was laid next to Saria. After that, Rauru focused his own powers and covered the crevice with a large slab of ice using the water in the Fairy's fountain as part of his spell, after which Impa reinforced it with her own Shadow Powers so that the slab of ice could not be removed by anyone except by the Sages themselves. This in turn sealed the deceased five people inside the icy wall with the hopes of whatever remains active within them goes in suspended animation and in turn keep their bodies fresh until the remaining Sages had found a way to resurrect them. As the process was underway, Rauru discovered that the most important treasures, the Ocarina of Time among them, were still among the group's possessions, being made partially visible through the torn parts of their respective outfits. This in turn brought some form of relief to him, as it would be certain that those treasures could not fall into enemy hands. After the deed was done and the five bodies were gently sealed within the ice wall of the Fairy Fountain, Impa couldn't help but burst out crying, the once tough Sheikah woman suffering an emotional breakdown, at which Darunia responded by gently holding her, giving her a shoulder to cry on. Once more Darunia remained firm by staying as calm as he could, but even he couldn't help but shed a tear for his Sworn Brother, the Princess of Hyrule and his three fellow Sages in turn.

Navi sat on top of the Fairy statue, being no better off than Impa. She had hoped of at least seeing Link once more and try to apologize to him for her leaving him after the initial fight with Ganondorf was over as well as for giving him so much information while all she did was doing her best to help him out as much as possible… but when she found him however, her hopes were dashed. She frantically tried to wake him at first, wondering why he wasn't waking up… and why any of the others weren't waking up either, only to have to hide when she heard someone approaching, unaware it was Impa. It was only after both Darunia and Rauru had broken the news to Impa that her worst fears had come true, somehow believing that it was all over now. Both Tatl and Tael were sitting on either side of her, trying to comfort her, although Tael ended up trying to comfort his sister as well. It was eventually revealed that Tatl had indeed grown to admire Link through his courageous and determined demeanor, which was especially shown when, after the Four Giants had been summoned and Majora's Mask went to possess the moon, Link chose to enter the moon himself as well to end the threat Majora posed once and for all instead of choosing to heed to Tatl's request of playing the Song of Time once more. Apparently Tatl forgot that each time the Song of Time was played by Link in Termina, the Goddess of Time would come and gently taking both Link and Tatl back to three days before the moon would crash on Clock Town.

After Impa had calmed down, relinquishing herself from the embrace he had given her, Darunia sat down on the floor, with his back towards the slab that was like an icy gravestone, his expression being serious.  
"I take it… you want to stay here… and watch over this place?" Impa asked.  
"Yes. If anyone tries anything funny, I'll gladly rebuild their faces for them!" Darunia replied.  
Impa could only nod in understanding, since she knew that Darunia too was having it very hard in coping with this loss. She then saw Rauru moving towards the exit of the Fairy's Fountain, having made up his mind of what he must do.  
"Rauru? Where are you going?" She asked.  
"I'm going to see if I can at least retrieve the equipment that they have lost, as well as trying to find the Master Sword itself. If we are to avenge them at some point, we need to at least be prepared." Rauru said.  
Impa saw the logic in it, as well as suspecting that Rauru was trying to do his part in making amends for his own overconfidence or having simply underestimated the power increase that Ganondorf and Majora both had received.  
"Just… be careful on your way." Impa said.  
"I will." Rauru said, before transforming himself in what appeared to be a light wisp before he moved on, being gone in a flash, leaving only Darunia and Impa alone with the fairies Navi, Tatl and Tael in the Ice Cave.  
Darunia remained silent, but acknowledged Rauru's departure with a nod, as if wanting to wish him good luck, before Rauru was gone.

Impa couldn't help but to gaze at the bodies through the ice slab, placing a hand on it to prevent herself from collapsing. Darunia could tell that Impa was still trying to cope with the fact that this really happened and that it wasn't just a bad dream, even though he too wished he could wake up to the next day and find themselves with the five alive and well at their side, ready to finally beat Ganondorf and Majora into submission. Ganondorf… that dark man from the desert… the man whom uses his vile and wicked powers without remorse in order to ensure his will would be enforced… having sealed off the Dodongo's Cavern at first after letting it become infested with those monsters… and in the future timeline which was eventually prevented thanks to Link's interference, he unleashed the dragon Volvagia in the Death Mountain Crater and its Fire Temple, threatening to feed the Gorons to the dragon to have them made an example of for those whom still defied his rule. But now… this diabolical, malicious man had gone way too far. Oh how he would love to pound Ganondorf's face in, but despite being the brutish, powerful leader of the Gorons, Darunia definitely wasn't stupid. He knew when he was outclassed by someone who could use his dark magical powers to curse anyone whom would not co-operate… and yet this kid… no… this young man, whom was raised in the forest, having somehow gotten a connection with the Hyrulean Royal Family, came to see him, offering his assistance to the Gorons and single-handedly opened Dodongo's Cavern and got rid of the Dodongo infestation, giving the Gorons once more access to their own delicacy, the Rock Sirloin… and later on he had helped him with saving the Goron People and defeating Volvagia in that dark, alternate future… it made Darunia mad to realize that evil somehow had found a way to still achieve its goals and at such a terrible cost. The fact that Saria, the Forest Sage… the Kokiri whom happened to have composed the song that he personally loved so much as well as Zelda, the Princess of Hyrule, were also victims of Ganondorf's malicious ways made him even angrier. In his frustration, he pounded his right fist on the ground, startling Impa and the three fairies in the process with the loud *THUMP* and the splash of the water that was on the spot where he hit the ground.  
"Darn it! There has to be SOMETHING we can do to get back at Ganondorf and Majora!" Darunia snarled, breathing heavily as if he was on the verge of a breakdown himself, although this was more of pure anger, sadness and misery altogether.  
"There has to be something indeed… but I wish I knew what." Impa replied, understanding him, somehow having the urge to cut something or someone up with her own daggers.  
"Oh, I would love to wreck havoc on one of their hideouts and just smash everything up." Darunia said.  
Impa chuckled lightly.  
"To think that our fallen friends already wiped out one outpost they stumbled upon by mere coincidence… perhaps if we can find one for ourselves, we can go crazy all we want." Impa said.  
Darunia nodded.  
"Right. We will avenge our friends, no matter what." He said.  
"They did tell us that the outpost they found was at a place that was nowhere near the lands we have seen so far, so it's likely they're keeping this on a down low to catch us by surprise in case we do decide to go on the offensive."  
"Then all the more reasons for us to find them first and take them out before they take us out." Darunia said, crushing a big piece of an ice rock with his bare hands, its debris scattering a bit over the fountain.  
It was now Impa's turn to nod, sighing as she once more gazed upon her fallen friends. Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru all looked peaceful on the outside, but on the inside, their bodies each held a short story of unspeakable torture. She did note several scars on their bodies of past fights, some old and pretty much healed over fine, others were more fresh and had only recently stopped bleeding, not counting the wounds they had suffered by the hands of Ganondorf and Majora respectively… it made her heart ache with severe regret of having been unable to protect them, despite her best efforts.  
"We'll get you back… we'll get all of you back… I promise." Impa softly said, ignoring the brooding Darunia for the moment as she gazed at their bodies, a tear slipping past her right eye.

Rauru in the meantime managed to retrieve most of the equipment that the group had lost during their fatal flight, primarily two bows and a bundle of arrows and Fire Arrows, A Big Bomb Bag containing several bombs that were left intact due to the tough exterior of the bomb bag itself, a few bottles that had survived the trip, several Deku Nuts, Saria's Slingshot and the swords of both Nabooru and Ruto. The shields of the group however laid in pieces in the bloody pond and Rauru knew that these could not be repaired. Nonetheless, he took the fragmented shield of Link with him to see if a store was selling them, assuming a disguise of a lone traveler to hide his appearance. After all, being a lone Sage in the open while such monsters as Ganondorf and Majora were around was incredibly risky…

A lone horse was galloping like crazy through the vast forest, avoiding the trees wherever it could, as if it was in quite the hurry. This wasn't your ordinary horse however, this horse had a red skin with white manes on the back of its head and neck. This was Epona, born and raised at Lon Lon Ranch and the trusty steed of Link during his adventures in both Hyrule and (especially) Termina. It appeared to be on the run as it ran at incredible speed, mostly due to the horse itself being very energetic. Several of the other forest animals went out of the way to avoid being trampled by the animal, while Epona herself remained cautious not to get itself in trouble regarding the natural hazards.

Cremia, the ranch owner of Romani Ranch, was currently taking care of her younger sister Romani, whom had fallen ill from a small fever. A doctor from Clock Town had said that Romani would recover from it over the course of the next few days, but that she had to take it easy. Cremia had heeded to the advice and saw to it that she would get as much rest as possible, blaming the fever on the fact that Romani could overexert herself on practicing her archery skills. She never really understood why Romani was so determined with practicing her bow at her age, wondering why she wouldn't play with regular toys instead. Of course Romani did help her older sister out when asked to, but whenever she could, she would always practice. Cremia suspected that something was up, or that Romani was hiding something from her in order to not make her worried. It couldn't be the story that Romani did tell her about 'them', right? She didn't believe that story or thought that it was a mere scary story that Romani believed in and just felt that she had to do what she thought was right. True enough, she did support Romani and was rooting for her during practices, having decided to add a challenge course for her to humor her… and yet she had questions… and she also had her own insides tied in a knot in a figurative way, suspecting that something really bad had happened recently, yet her occupation as a ranch owner prevented her from so much as going outside to find out and she couldn't afford to leave Romani alone, much less send her out… she was taking comfort in the fact that Anju and Kafei would come and visit tomorrow, perhaps she could ask them for a favor…

Sakon, Termina's most notorious thief, was in the meantime being chased by a group of bandits whom had confronted Link and the girls before in the land beyond the Woods of Mystery, bent on reclaiming the items that Sakon had pilfered from Link, whom in turn found those items in their hideouts. It was a complete irony on this that Link actually was speaking the truth, since Sakon DID have items with him that belonged to the bandits before. Apparently Sakon thought that he could have a secret weapon with him in case people would see through his 'prancing idiot' façade, something Link had demonstrated before. The chase led all around Termina Field and eventually back into Ikana Valley, where Sakon found refuge in his own impenetrable stronghold, yet his anger at the child grew even more, believing that he was set up by him to be confronted and chased by those bandits. This alone began to fuel his desire to plot his course of revenge on the kid and take down anyone whom was associated with him as well; he still remembered the encounter back in Romani Ranch, where he would have to steal some of the Chateau Romani to distract Cremia and Romani, so the Gorman Brothers could move in and once again play their part in their attempt to ruin Cremia's business. Sakon remembered all too well being pelted by arrows by that forest kid and the princess riding on that red-colored pony of theirs, seeing that the princess even went to take on the Gorman Brothers by herself while Link kept his focus on him… oh how he would love to make them pay…

With Darunia brooding, Impa sitting at the opposite wall and Navi inconsolable, both Tatl and Tael did some thinking. It was clear to Tael now that Tatl did have come to care for Link, her tsundere-based posture now broken due to what has transpired.  
"I wonder what we can do to help them, sis…" Tael said.  
"Yeah, but I doubt anything other than the death of the culprits could be of help though; the loss has hit hard after all." Tatl replied.  
"But there has to be SOMETHING we can do…"  
"And what do you suggest?" Tatl asked, frowning.  
"… I don't know, but I will find something, you just wait." Tael said, before flying off.  
"TAEL! COME BACK HERE!" Tatl then asked, flying after him.  
Impa watched this exchange, but remained silent, even as the two left. She was thinking carefully about what would be wise to do now. She sighed, before moving her head between her knees, beginning to cry softly again.  
"Tael! Where do you think you're going?!" Tatl asked.  
"I'm going to find something that can be of help to them and don't you dare trying to stop me; I'm taking charge of this operation." Tael said as he flew on.  
Tatl sighed.  
"You're impossible at times, brother… but I am coming with you whether you like it or not." She then said.

"I still don't get it how Ganondorf was able to best us…" Impa said after several minutes, "and here I thought that the Master Sword would once more kill Ganondorf, this time once and for all."  
"Well, the Master Sword did injure Ganondorf as it pierced through him," Darunia replied, "however I believe that it has gotten weaker due to Ganondorf striking us with that lightning attack of his, which must have sapped a part of our power, which in turn led to us being unable to break free from that binding spell Majora cast on us…"  
This caused Impa's eyes to widen.  
"By the Goddesses… if I recall history correctly then the power of the Sages is connected to the Master Sword, so if anything would happen to us Sages…" Impa said.  
"…then it would influence the power of the Sword, so by making us weaker it made the Sword weaker in turn. It's also the only thing I can think of why Brother Link had to go through all the temples and awaken us as the Sages, since the Master Sword would be at full strength needed to combat Ganondorf back then. But obviously Ganondorf is aware of this as well; his plans were exposed after all." Darunia finished.  
"Dear Goddesses… and now that most of us as well as the hero are gone…"  
"… then the Master Sword is practically useless, until we have found a way to bring them back."  
Impa shivered again, the thought of Ganondorf knowing about the Master Sword and its power was shaking her to the core. But of course, it was all because of Ganondorf allowing Link to run free so he could step in and lay claim to the Sacred Realm and through that the Triforce itself after Link was sealed inside the sacred realm when he tried to pull the Master Sword out of its pedestal…  
"Oh no…" Impa said, shivering like crazy.  
"The only advantage we have is that Ganondorf did not extract the Triforce Pieces of both Brother Link and Princess Zelda yet… he simply wanted them gone and take their powers later… perhaps Majora had an influence in this, I don't know… something doesn't add up here…" Darunia said.  
However, this new information was too much for Impa to handle right now.  
"I… I need to get out of here before I go crazy!" She said, before promptly running out of the cave, leaving Darunia behind with Navi.  
Darunia blinked for a moment, but decided it was better to leave Impa be, figuring that Impa needed some time to herself to calm down properly, before things would get even worse.

Rauru in the meantime managed to recover Ruto's Magical Boomerang and several rupees, intending to use them to buy the group some new shields for after their resurrection. He knew that the task ahead wouldn't be easy, but it had to be done. He had silently sworn to himself that he would not rest until the group had been brought back to life, but finding the right way was not going to be easy. With the Temple of Time still ruined and the Master Sword being out of the reach for now, It wouldn't be easy to get proper access to the Sacred Realm, especially with the area around the Pedestal of Time still being ruined. Heck, he wasn't even sure if the remains of the Temple of Time were still standing or that the rest had crumbled due to the damage dealt to it over the past days having eventually led to the collapse of its structural integrity. He sighed once more as he went on his way, using his Light Wisp form to travel faster, being akin to how Link used to teleport using the different warp songs between the temples. He would first find a village or something that could supply him with a decent disguise that allowed him to travel in the open without being spotted by enemies.

Ganondorf at the same time sat on his throne, watching Majora enjoying himself with cursing another batch of recently captured soldiers whom tried to enter their fort. While Majora was relishing in his victory over Link and the Sages, Ganondorf was thinking carefully over his next moves. He was certain that the remaining Sages would have recovered the bodies of their fallen comrades; why else would Impa use her Shadow Medallion to make her escape with the Sages of Light and Fire? It appears some of the Sages' powers could become active when they needed it… this was something he could look into. But for now, he smirked as he relished too in his victory, although he wasn't goofing off like Majora did. He had to admit that Majora was a nutcase… but a dangerous nutcase at that, which amused him to a degree…

Darunia spotted Navi still sitting on the Fairy Statue, still very upset. He decided to get up and walk to her. Navi looked up as she saw Darunia coming to her, still sniffing, her cheeks red and puffy from the crying.  
"I take it you miss him too?" He asked.  
Navi could only nod, her voice having become hoarse from all the crying.  
"So do I. Come over here." Darunia said, nodding to the spot where he was moving to sit back, wanting Navi to join him.  
Mustering her strength, Navi followed, still sniffing. Darunia sat back down against the wall next to the ice grave stone. Navi looked at it, seeing the bodies of Nabooru, Saria, Link, Zelda and Ruto next to each other behind it, each of them now sporting signs of being frozen, as if they were put in suspended animation, while in reality it was far worse. The sight of it alone made Navi much more miserable, causing her to turn back around, sitting on Darunia's shoulder, sighing deeply. Darunia looked at her from the corner of his eye.  
"It's just you and me now, Navi. The others are gone for the time being… but they will return…." He said.  
Navi nodded, remaining silent as she just sat there, needing to calm down…


	14. Chapter 14: A spiritual encounter

_Chapter 14: A spiritual encounter_

Impa was running away from the Ice Cave like crazy, needing a desolate place to just gather her thoughts, but the events of the last few hours were just too much for her to handle as she ran, until she stopped in a small clearing, with another small brook running in the center of it and several rocks and logs scattered over it. The sound of birds chirping around were heard all over, with for the rest complete silence, except for the water running slowly and gently through the brook. Now that she was alone, the frustrated Impa howled in anguish in the sky, before breaking down once more, sitting on a large stone, her emotions finally having gotten the better of her. There was for the rest no one who heard her cry, she was finally alone.

Epona was taking a drink from a small lake she found while being in the forest, when she heard the outcry echoing across the forest. Her left ear twitched at this, indicating it must have come from that direction. Feeling re-energized after drinking, Epona went on her way to the source of that cry, wondering who it was.

"Damn it, this is just not fair! How are we supposed to do something when those monsters are still out to end the rest of us so their rule will be unopposed?!" Impa wailed as she cried, as if she had finally broken.  
For a solid minute or two, Impa cried like she did never before, wanting release of all the pain she held within her, hoping it would bring relief to her tormented soul so that she could focus on the task of bringing the group back to life, but the worst thing was that she had no idea where to even begin! Would the Great Fairies be of any help? Did she have to make an appeal to the Goddesses themselves? And what about the others who were alive? Wouldn't they be in mortal danger? Would the hopefully temporal shrine and gravesite be discovered by the evil ones and their powers removed from them by force? All these questions made Impa even more miserable to a level where she at first didn't hear someone calling her name…

Tael and Tatl were still flying along, having now entered the Lost Woods area, heading for the Sacred Forest Meadow.  
"Bro, do you even know where you're going?!" Tatl asked.  
"I'm trying to see if we can find other fairies whom may be able to help us." Tael said.  
"I see. But won't this be a bit too elaborate to just ask blindly?"  
"Trust me, if our comrades can be of help, we'll know what to do exactly."  
"Alright then, if you say so." Tatl replied as the two fairies moved on.

Rauru was getting close to what remained of Kakariko Village, which laid mostly in ruins due to the eruption of Death Mountain. The lava that came from it had covered most of the road to the mountain itself, and several houses, including the Bazaar, the Potion Shop and the Skulltula House were either surrounded by the lava, gone up in flames or otherwise ruined. Among the few structures that had survived so far was the old residence of Impa, the Kakariko Windmill and the well it was connected to and the Shooting Gallery, although these buildings were mostly deserted as the villagers, along with the population of Goron City, sought refuge in areas away from the mountain, some of them even having joined into a convoy leading towards Clock Town in Termina to take refuge there, hoping that one day they will be able to return to their homes soon. Nevertheless, Rauru opted to enter the village itself to see if there was anything that could be of use or even salvaged in his own, personal quest. Perhaps a visit to the Royal Graveyard could be an option for him…

"Impa…" A young, female voice addressed the distraught Shadow Sage as she still sat on the large, flat rock, having calmed down from the crying.  
"Oh, great… now I'm hearing voices as if my mind is playing games with me." Impa herself said, sniffing.  
"Impa…"  
Impa looked up, looking around.  
"This must be a dream… it must be!" Impa said, feeling even more unsettled as she was before.  
"Impa, please…" The female voice said.  
Impa then looked in the direction of the trees to her right, before her eyes went wide… as right in front of her, the image of Princess Zelda herself appeared.  
"G – G- GAH! ZELDA!" Impa shrieked, startled at Zelda's sudden appearance.  
"I know what you're thinking, Impa… but I actually am dead… what you see in front of you is my spirit." Zelda replied.  
It was then that Impa got a good look at Zelda before her, noticing that the colors of her whole body, with clothes and everything, was a lighter shade of their normal colors and instead of her legs, she sported a ghost-like tail.  
"So you really have perished after all." Impa said, looking down sadly.  
"Yes, but not just me…" Zelda said, as suddenly four more spirits approached her… being Link, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru… each of them sporting the same ghost-like tail instead of legs and a lighter shade of color like with Zelda  
Impa gulped at this.  
"So, it's not a dream at all… but why are you here, instead of being among the heavens?" She then asked.  
"I guess you could blame me for that," Nabooru said, "I used my Spiritual powers in an attempt to at least keep us together, but our wounds were too severe and as we passed away, we were filled with so much regret that we just couldn't fully pass on to the hereafter. Even if we did, we would still be lingering with regret, just like the spirits in Ikana Canyon."  
Impa nodded.  
"How did this actually happen? I mean… the last thing I saw was that you were being sent away to this area by Ganondorf and Majora like cannonballs… you were already dead when we managed to find you…" Impa said.  
"It's a long story, but we'll try to keep it short…" Saria said, looking at Link, whom nodded sadly, as if agreeing with her…  
"I didn't exactly land rather softly," Link began, "in fact, when I hit the ground I didn't just stop, instead I found myself skidding and tumbling backwards through the forest, until I hit my back hard against a rocky cliff. My shield absorbed most of the impact, but broke because of the force I hit the cliff with. The next thing I knew I was falling onto my exposed back into that pond…"

_Link tried to get up about a minute or so as he woke up from being dazed, but he couldn't feel his legs anymore, being able to only move his arms and head a little… he could feel the blood leaking from his wounds slowly… which meant that he wasn't going to make it, even more as he coughed hard, coughing up blood along with some spit, indicating he also suffered internal damage.  
"N… no… it can't end… not… like this…" Link said with a broken voice, struggling to even speak or move, only to hear a female scream coming closer, only for someone to land close to him.  
As he looked into that direction, his eyes went wide as far as it could go.  
"Z… Zelda… you… too?" He managed to get out.  
"L… Link… by the Goddesses…" Zelda said, trying to move to him, "are you alright?"  
Link however shook his head.  
"N… no… I can't feel… my legs anymore… my back's broken… this is it for me, Zelda." He said solemnly.  
Zelda gulped, fighting back tears.  
"What about… you?" Link then asked.  
"I… I'm not too good either… I… I guess I'm coming along to the Great Unknown along with you…" She said, just as another loud crash came, this time from Link's other side.  
"S… Saria!" Link said, raising his head as far as he could, while Zelda looked up as well.  
Saria didn't reply yet… her landing caused her to hurl a bit, puking up blood as a result of it, but still trying to crawl towards Link. But no sooner had she succeeded in reaching him, when suddenly a battered and bloodied Princess Ruto fell from the sky and landed on a spot just above Link and Zelda, while about half a minute later, a battered Nabooru joined them, landing in an area where she laid close to Link and Saria, breaking her right arm during the landing. Link couldn't help but shed a tear himself, sniffing as he offered his hands towards Saria and Zelda, whom managed to reach it and laid one of their hands on top of his. The group was then covered by a soft, orange glow…  
"N… Nabooru? W… what are you doing?" Saria asked, managing to roll on her back as she laid next to Link, her left hand on his right one.  
"T… Trying to keep us alive un… until the others come…" She said.  
Link smiled weakly.  
"I… appreciate your… efforts, Nabooru… but I'm… afraid it's too late for me…" Link said, before coughing up blood once again.  
"For me too…" Zelda said, her breathing becoming a bit more labored due to the pain she was in.  
"I… I'm not gonna make it either…" Saria said, her head tilted towards Link, causing Link to look at her, seeing that Saria was crying.  
"I think none of us are…" Ruto said, holding her side as she had lost quite an amount of blood, while Nabooru felt her powers fading as well, despite trying to hold on.  
"But… how was this… even possible?!" Zelda asked.  
"I… I think Ganondorf must… have known about… our approach… and pre… prepared himself accordingly…" Link said, laying down.  
"Y… You think… it was a set-up… for us? As if we walked… right into… a trap?" Zelda asked.  
"That's very likely… but the worst thing… about it is… that I… couldn't have seen… this coming…" Link said, his body trembling.  
"None… of us did… Link…" Zelda said, trying to comfort him.  
"True… but what I regret the most… is not only that we couldn't save Hyrule this time… but… I couldn't… save… you… I… tried… so…hard….." Link then said, before he closed his eyes… and knew no more.  
"Link? LINK?!" Saria asked, trying to wake him, but Link didn't respond anymore.  
"He… he's dead…" Nabooru said, "even now… he wanted to save us…"  
"Link… I'm… sorry…" was all Zelda could get out before she too succumbed to her injuries.  
"No… Link… Zelda… wait for me…" Saria managed to choke out, before she too passed away, partially choking on her own blood from having suffered some internal injuries herself.  
"I… I guess this is it… huh…" Ruto said, smiling weakly after managing to get closer to Link and Zelda.  
"I… I'm afraid so..." Nabooru said, collapsing next to Saria's head.  
"I… I'll see you… at the other side then…" Ruto said, before she too laid still completely.  
"Rauru… Darunia… Impa… good-bye…" was all Nabooru could say, before she too breathed her last…_

"And that's pretty much it." Nabooru said as she floated in her spirit form in front of Impa, whom was once more crying, although much more composed.  
"So you're pretty much now lost souls filled with regret?" Impa then said.  
"Yes, we are." Zelda said, looking down.  
"Look, we're doing whatever we can to bring you back with us so we can get Ganondorf back for what he did…" Impa said.  
"We appreciate it, Impa… but how are you going to do this?" Saria asked.  
"I personally am not sure yet… but Rauru's on his way to find something that can be done. Perhaps we may need something that can be of use very soon…" Impa asked.  
The five nodded, but were still looking gloomy.  
"What's the matter?" Impa asked.  
"It's… it's just that we regret that this has happened to us… and to you…" Zelda said.  
"Well, none of us could know that this was a trap…" Impa said, trying to make the group feel better.  
"True, but still… it feels like someone made a big hole in our souls that needs to be healed…" Link said, looking down while Saria and Zelda tried to comfort him, realizing that Link's soul was the worst affected of them all.  
_'A soul that needs to be healed?!'_ Impa thought to herself, before her eyes widened as she remembered something from when Link had returned from Termina…

_About eight months earlier, after Link had returned from his adventure in Termina and had taken a rest in his old home in the Kokiri Forest, both he and Saria were invited to the Temple of Time by Zelda and Impa. Once they arrived there, they saw that Nabooru, Darunia, Rauru, Princess Ruto, Impa and Princess Zelda herself were waiting there for them.  
"Hey, kid! It's good to see you back." Nabooru said to him.  
"Brother, you simply can't go anywhere without pulling off an heroic act or two, do you?" Darunia said with a bright smile.  
"Hehe, you know me Darunia; I simply do what I think is the right thing." Link replied with a smile.  
"We couldn't expect anything less from our greatest friend and Hero." Zelda said, pulling him in a friendly hug, making Link blush a little, much to Impa's amusement.  
"So, what happened exactly in Termina? We only know or felt bits and pieces…" Rauru then said.  
"You may want to sit down if possible; this is going to take a while." Link said.  
Once the Sages had sat down, Link told them all about his adventures in Termina in detail, about how he was being caught by surprise by the mask-wielding Skull Kid, of which he later found out through the Happy Mask Salesman that the mask in fact was Majora's Mask. He told how that Skull Kid stole the Ocarina of Time from him and cursed Link to become a Deku, the retrieval of the Ocarina of Time which helped reverting the time and through the same Salesman he got his old form back and how he helped out the population of Termina, being the Deku Kingdom in the Southern Swamp, a Goron settlement in a cursed-winter region known as Snowhead and a Zora population within the Great Bay area, of which he showed proof by showing them the masks and entering those forms he gained from them. Saria found the Deku form adorable, Darunia was highly impressed in the Goron form, recognizing the blood of a great Goron Hero within, while Ruto gulped a bit at seeing the Zora form, being both impressed and slightly intimidated in a way, although each of them agreed that Link looked way better in his Hylian form, to which Link took no offense to. Link told them how he had defeated the monsters that dwelled within the Woodfall, Snowhead, Great Bay and Stone Tower Temples and how, after he had done everything he could to break the curses and solving the temples, he ultimately confronted Majora within the Moon itself and how Majora had disturbed him concerning his respective forms as well as the appearance of the Moon itself, with the Sages listening in great interest, being as equally disturbed about Majora as Link was. Link then also attended the carnival and was also a witness to the wedding of Anju and Kafei, having used his Zora form to help the Zora band in Termina, the Indigo-go's with their scheduled performance in Clock Town, which was an outright success. After partaking in some more events after he and his fairy companion Tatl there had departed from each other, Link eventually decided to return home to visit his friends and see how they were doing, which brought a smile on the Sages' faces, as they learned that, despite all the hardships he went through, Link never forgot about them.  
"I have one question though." Zelda then said.  
"Ask away." Link said, smiling.  
"You said that you learned a song that can heal specific souls… can you play it for us?" She asked.  
"Sure thing," Link said as he took out his Ocarina, "this song is aptly named 'Song of Healing'."  
Link then began to play the Song of Healing to the group, the song itself echoing throughout the temple. Even though the Sages themselves were very much alive, they could feel all their worry, their pent up emotions, their respective distress… they could feel it all just washing away by that song, as if a wave of love, caring and comfort was gently poured over them to soothe their own souls for that matter. To say that it brought relief to them was a major understatement. Once Link was done playing the song, he blinked as he saw the women of the group shaking a bit.  
"Hey, are you alright?" Link asked in genuine concern.  
The response he got was that Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru glomped him en masse, resulting in Nabooru holding the four children close.  
"That was an amazingly beautiful song!" Saria said.  
"I felt as if all my own worries or regrets just washed away from me!" Zelda said.  
Link smiled.  
"That's the greatest effect of the song. It was through this song I've healed the souls of the Goron hero Darmani, the Zora hero Mikau and I even managed to save a professor whom researches the supernatural from being turned into a Gibdo." Link said smiling.  
"You truly are one of the greatest heroes of both Hyrule and Termina. I wouldn't be surprised if songs would be sung of your achievements for a long time to come." Darunia said.  
"Thanks." Link said with a smile, returning the hugs that Zelda, Saria and Ruto gave him, before giving a separate one to Nabooru._

Impa then blinked, before regaining her focus, noticing the spirit forms of Zelda, Link, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru looking at her in concern.  
"Are you alright?" Spirit Zelda asked.  
"I… I'm fine, I just got lost in a past memory." Impa said, before her eyes went back to her determined look again, before she brought her fingers to her lips.  
"What are you doing?" Saria asked.  
"Trust me, this will be of your benefit." Impa replied, right before she began to play the Song of Healing herself, having memorized the song from when Link played it for her all those months ago.  
The eyes of the five in front of her went wide, the song taking its appropriate effect, pulling them into memories of when they had great times together, just having fun together in the time of peace and whenever a threat would show up, they had the means to combat it. It also brought back memories of their training and how they managed to defeat the forces of Ganondorf and Majora in the unknown land beyond the Woods of Mystery, feeling relief washing over them.

After about a minute or two, Impa stopped playing the song, before looking at the spirits in front of her, whom felt visibly relieved, smiling at her.  
"Thank you… thank you for that…" Link said, stuttering a little.  
Impa smiled.  
"It's the least I can do for you, consider us even on that, since you've used the song to heal me in a similar fashion months ago." She said.  
Link smiled, as it brought memories back to the surface of being able to help his friends using it.  
"So, where do you go from here?" Impa then asked.  
"Well, under normal circumstances, the five of us would pass on to the heavenly realms and await our resurrection there, but it would still mean that we should leave you behind for the time being…" Zelda said.  
"Hmmm," Impa said, beginning to think.  
Saria shivered a little, causing Link to comfort her a bit, making Saria smile.  
"I must admit that finding a way to resurrect you won't be easy, since we need someone of higher power that ensures that not only your lives, but also your bodies will be restored to your former glory and strength." Impa said.  
Zelda nodded.  
"However, I may have an idea that can allow you to stay in this realm for the time being, until we have found the right way to ensure your complete resurrection. To do so, I need to get into the Royal Graveyard in what remains of Kakariko Village." Impa then said.  
"But how are we going to get there without being attacked and all? No offense, but the five of us are in greater danger now… people could mistake us for Poes that try to mess with their minds." Nabooru said.  
Impa nodded.  
"Which is why I need the five of you to temporarily inhabit my own body, so I can safely take you to our destination after which I will execute my plan." She said.  
The five spirits blinked.  
"You want us to inhabit your body? Won't that cause complications?" Link asked in genuine concern.  
"I understand your concern, lad, but if I need to use my own body to keep your spirits safe from danger, then so be it. Besides, I am from the Sheikah, the Shadow folk. We have our ways of passing by undetected." Impa replied.  
"But won't this causes us to merge with you?" Zelda asked.  
"Trust me on this, Zelda. I promise nothing will happen to you during our trip. Besides, I did help in giving you a disguise to hide and live as a Sheikah in the case of emergencies." Impa said, convincing the group.  
"I'll help with this." Nabooru said, using her Spirit powers to make the five flow into Impa's body, but Impa remained in full control of herself, the only changes being that she, for the time being, had two Triforce Pieces and three other Sage medallions with her, the only signs that something was different, but regarding appearance and everything, she had remained the same.  
Her decision and path now clear, Impa set off towards the Royal Graveyard, which ironically was where Rauru had been for the moment.

Darunia had listened to Navi as she threw her heart out to the Goron Leader, telling him what was on her mind regarding what she wanted to do and why she was looking for Link in the first place. The matter wasn't made easier as Darunia revealed that Link was looking for her too, but inadvertedly came across Termina and its own crisis involving Majora and the moon threatening to fall on Majora. This wasn't known to the others until Link managed to return safely, however some of them, both Saria and Zelda in particular, couldn't help a sense of dread and concern within him. Saria already knew why she felt it, but Zelda was unaware of this until she consulted Impa about it. Impa's response was that Link somehow impacted Zelda's life due to his own determined, courageous nature and also their mutual friendship. At least that was what Impa realized until the moment Link had played the Song of Healing for them, at which Impa, while feeling relieved herself, could feel a lot of guilt and worry wash away from both Saria and Zelda alike, with Ruto and Nabooru's not too far behind, although Nabooru also had other reasons. Navi was horrified at what Link had gone through in Termina, feeling her respect for him grow even more.  
"Even now he wanted to save us as he pushed Zelda out of the way from Majora's attacks… yet Ganondorf caught him off guard with his attack, weakening all of us…" Darunia said, sighing.

At the same moment, Rauru himself moved across Death Mountain, moving to avoid the lava while trying to see if the Great Fairy that once resided at the top of Death Mountain, close to the mountain crater, was still present there, so he could ask for her assistance whenever she could, or ask for advice in regards to his quest. He sighed as he moved along, looking with sadness at what was once a glorious mountain.  
"This world has definitely gone downhill ever since THEY returned… why is it that such greedy men with power always mess up the order of things and let people live their lives as it should be?" He asked himself as he continued along.

Darunia could have sworn to have heard the faint neighing of a young horse outside about 15 minutes later, so he went outside to check it out. As he came outside the cavern, he saw that there was a young, red horse with white manes standing in front of him. From memories of the conversations he had before with Link, Darunia recognized the horse as Epona.  
"I take it you must have sensed it, huh?" Darunia then said to Epona, whom neighed in response.  
Darunia motioned for the horse to come inside.  
"You can't stay outside here, something may happen. It is cold inside, but at least you have shelter." Darunia said, walking back into the cavern.  
Epona neighed again as it proceeded to follow Darunia carefully in a walking pace into the ice cave, heeding to the Goron Leader's advice. With at least Epona safe, Darunia went to sit down back next to the ice grave stone, where Navi was waiting for him, settling again on the Fairy Statue for the moment. Epona snorted for a moment, before finding a dry patch of land to lay down on and rest, with both unaware of what Impa was doing now…


	15. Chapter 15: Advice from beyond

_Chapter 15: Advice from beyond_

Impa swiftly arrived in the remnants of Kakariko Village, stopping for a moment to see that her old house, the Windmill and the Shooting Gallery were spared from the lava that landed after the eruption of Death Mountain. She sighed at seeing the once prospering village now desolate and deserted. As if the Kingdom of Hyrule was taken swiftly and without error it seemed by this power-hungry warlord and a homicidal, mask-wearing freak whose disturbing and insane mannerisms and behavior could make the crazy lab professor at the Lake Hylia lab look perfectly normal in comparison. She moved on towards the Royal Graveyard, now somewhat unattended as Dampé the Gravekeeper had recently passed away himself, although that was some time before the fateful attack.  
_'Let's hope the Tomb has something useful, otherwise I'll have to look through the Kakariko Well or the Shadow Temple as alternatives.'_ She thought to herself as she proceeded along to the largest tomb, the tomb of the Royal Family which was flanked on either side by one grave of one of the Composer Brothers, Flat and Sharp. Seeing that the tomb itself was still open, Impa hopped down the hole, landing in the area where Link had gone in first more than a year ago, in the small, dungeon-like area where Link discovered the gravestone where the melody of the Sun's Song was engraved into it. Walking down the slope, Impa arrived in the room where the numerous skeletons laid and where some of the recent corpses of the soldiers whom perished in the initial attacked were taken in as well. She shook her head as she observed the area, before proceeding to the next room, which contained the poison water as well as the ReDeads, whom had remained on their places. Using her Shadow powers to pass the ReDeads by, Impa arrived at the stone slab that contained the Sun's Song. It was there that Impa softly chanted a short Sheikah incantation that began to lift the slab… revealing a hidden door. Entering it, Impa was now wandering in a different gravesite, where in the past the people of the Sheikah had been laid to rest. Once there, she was looking over the graves, hoping to find something that could be of use to her…

Ganondorf and Majora in the meantime were already beginning to spread their influence now back over Hyrule, now that they have secured their main tower into a nigh-impenetrable fort. In the first part, they set up a base below the surface from where they could keep their prisoners, brainwash the more feisty ones into working for them or otherwise have them work on the materials needed in preparation for their expansion. Ganondorf also expressed a high interest in Ikana Canyon after being told about its history by Majora, intending to make that cursed land into a perfect stronghold for his base in Termina, once Hyrule was under full control. Now that Link and most of the Sages were out of the way and the Master Sword rendered useless, Ganondorf was now more than ready to spread his influence over the lands first, before he would go and collect the remaining Triforce pieces that Link and Zelda still had in their possession. While he could have extracted them already before, Majora was more eager to finish them off in such an extreme manner, so that they would first establish their rule first. Although initially against the idea, Ganondorf decided to follow along. However, he also gained an increased interest in Majora himself; in particular Majora's Mask itself. Ganondorf wondered what it would be like if Majora's powers were added to his own, wondering if he would have obtained ultimate power in case he did get his grubby hands on the remaining Triforce pieces. The mere thought of having all that extra power brought a smirk to his face, as it would allow him to spread his rule to far beyond Hyrule… However, he did wince at the wounds that Link and Zelda had inflicted on him before their deaths. It was actually still hurting him even, despite the wounds having healed over mostly. It was as if those wounds would definitely going to be a bother for a long time to come.

Tatl and Tael were currently moving into the Kokiri Forest, as Tael had noticed the presence of other Fairies there, so he went to see if he could get help or something else there in regards to his personal mission. Tatl just didn't get why Tael decided to become so determined to do something radical like this, yet she had to give her brother credit for putting some effort in it. It was quite elaborate, that was definitely true, but she had to admit that he genuinely wanted to help, just like when he wanted to go in her stead to help Link defeat Majora before. Oh, if she only knew how bad the mask the Skull Kid was wearing had been... perhaps she would have asked for help to save the imp… all these memories didn't do Tatl any good; while she remained her stubborn self, deep down she did regret the things she had done to Link, even though she had already apologized to him after they had solved the Woodfall Temple…

Navi the fairy had in the meantime cried herself to sleep, leaving Darunia to brood by himself. At the same moment, Rauru reached the top of Death Mountain, discovering that the entrance to the Great Fairy's Fountain was still intact. This brought a smile to his face as he moved into the Fountain itself, moving towards the pedestal in front of the fountain to summon her. Sure enough, the Great Fairy of Power appeared before him in response to the summoning.  
"Huh? Rauru?" The Great Fairy asked, blinking as she recognized the one before her.  
"Yes, it is I, Rauru, the Sage of Light. I have come here to seek your help on a rather distressful situation." He said.  
"I am listening." The Great Fairy said.  
"I am certain you have been aware of Ganondorf's return and the fact that he has found an ally in a malevolent being known as Majora, am I correct?" He asked.  
"That I am, considering the way Death Mountain has been erupting… I'm surprised that this place has remained untouched so far…" The Great Fairy replied.  
"Well, a rather disastrous event has occurred shortly after. I was confident that the Hero of Time and the Seven Sages, myself included, would be able to defeat this new threat altogether, but I underestimated just in what ways they can use their vile and wicked powers. It is with my deepest regret to inform you that the Hero of Time, the Princess of Destiny and the Sages of the Forest, Water and Spirit did not survive."  
The Great Fairy was shocked at this.  
"Which brings me here, as I am trying to find a way to bring the group back to life and undo my mistake of overconfidence, so that we may find a different way that will bring peace to Hyrule once more." Rauru then said.  
"So you want to bring the ones whom had died back to life, correct?" The Great Fairy asked.  
"Yes. My question to you is if you are able to help me with this." Rauru said.  
The Great Fairy of Power crossed her arms, evidently thinking as she closed her eyes for about a minute along the way. Eventually she opened her eyes again.  
"I have to inform you that I cannot heed to your request personally; we can resurrect fallen people yes, but our powers remain limited to reviving them after only several seconds have passed, so we can properly restore their life force either completely or to a degree. This is why Red Fairies have to be carried in bottles by travelers to ensure of this. However, in regards to your question, I may have to redirect you to Her Royal Highness Venus, the Fairy Queen. She may be able to grant you your request in this situation. I do not know the location of her current residence, but perhaps my friend whom lives by Hyrule Castle may be of help to you." The Great Fairy then said.  
"Very well, I will go and see your friend. I thank you for your time and the help." Rauru said, bowing.  
"No problem at all, Rauru. Come back anytime if you're feeling weary, I'll fix you up in no time." The Great Fairy said, before she vanished, leaving Rauru alone.  
With this new information in his possession, Rauru exited her fountain and, using his wisp form, traveled all the way down Death Mountain and back to Kakariko Village, landing there. Rauru knew that the road to Hyrule Castle itself would be a dangerous trip, so he decided to first move into the houses that were still intact if he could find something like a disguise that could be of his aid to traverse the road to Hyrule Castle unsuspected.

Impa grunted in frustration as she was unable to find something that could be of use so far, before sitting down to think properly.  
_'Think, Impa, think! You're being too hasty now…'_ Impa thought to herself, grunting as she put her head between her hands, apparently unable to thinks straight, so she needed to get something to calm her mind.  
"A rupee for your thoughts?" Another voice sounded in the tomb.  
Looking up, Impa the saw a Poe appearing above one of the graves… although this one looked different from the Poes that were known to harass or attack unsuspecting travelers.  
"Yes, I'm looking for something that I can use for a personal mission." Impa said.  
"Really, and what is this personal mission you speak of?" The Poe asked.  
"Hold up, can I at least know who you are first?"  
"Ah, of course. I used to be one of the Shadow Folk, the Sheikah, whom was regrettably slain during the Hyrulean Civil War while performing my duties to protect the Royal Family. My duties however forbade me to associate in the outside safely and had to assume other identities in my past existence, hence I have forgotten my own name. I can tell you're one of the Sheikah too, since only the Shadow Folk can enter this area and you're having the Sheikah garment on."  
"I see. So you're a fellow Sheikah, but why your current form as a Poe?"  
"Due to me having assumed multiple identities over the course of my life, I became eventually cursed in a way where no one would know who I used to be, not even myself. Hence my current undead form which you see before you."  
"I understand."  
"Due to my own lamentations, I was eventually left unaware that the world around me has changed. Even after passing I find myself wondering what the world has become, or if I would still be alive if I had made some decisions in life different. Alas, what's in the past is in the past. I cannot go back to the life that I once had. Even if it was to help someone related to the Royal Family or my own kind out, one last time…"  
"So you've basically become a soul lingering with regrets, right?" Impa then asked.  
"Basically, yes. It's a cruel world which we live in…" The Poe lamented.  
Impa then responded by playing the Song of Healing before the Poe, causing the Poe to freeze in shock for a solid minute, before it spoke again.  
"What?! Somehow my heart has been put at ease… I feel as if whatever regrets I have just washed away as if a pleasant procedure of cleansing has been blessed on me…"  
The Poe then turned to Impa, realizing that she had healed its soul in turn.  
"I thank you for healing my soul, it has brought incredible relief to me. Is there anything I can do for you in turn?" The Poe asked.  
"Yes, you can. I require your help on a very important matter, which is tied to my personal mission." Impa said.  
"I understand. Although my own lamentations have prevented me from bringing this up before, but you seem to carry souls of the dead with you, do you not?"  
"I do. I've hid them inside my own shadow, considering the fact I am also the Shadow Sage. It is also these souls that is the matter of this mission."  
"You have my attention."  
"These souls were victims from a brutal attack during a fight against two powerful, evil beings, the Evil King Ganondorf and a crazed, mask-wielding lunatic known as Majora, which they and three other Sages, myself included, were involved in. It is our wish to undo their demise and get back at those two malicious beings for what they have done to them and to us," Impa said, "but there is also a great risk, if we would try to attack again now, it's likely that they will be killed again and, to make matters worse, two of them are in possession of a part of the relic known as the Triforce."  
"And you fear that by releasing them now will make things worse, am I correct?" The Poe asked.  
"Yes, especially since Ganondorf and Majora are still on the loose and this time without any good opposition…"  
"I understand. Sadly I cannot help with the resurrection thing, but I DO know that spirit forms can be used for something else."  
"And what would that be?"  
"Infiltration, you see, with the right power or situation, Spirits can be used to temporarily possess the bodies of others whom are among the living, even if it's just an apparent lifeless husk of armor. This in effect can give the spirits control of those beings and interact with their 'comrades' to divulge information that can be of use in your quest to bring them down."  
"So it's like taking possession of an enemy and use them to reveal information that we could use in our quest to bring them down?"  
"That is correct. Perhaps this way it will allow you to keep track of the movements of the enemy while at the same time keeping a low profile. Look at it this way; you'll be able to take advantage of the fact that the group whose souls you have with you is dead and use the time you have until their resurrection at your disposal to figure out the course of enemy movements. Perhaps it will even be useful to find the lairs of those vile monsters themselves, so you have an idea of where to go. It's like preparing yourself for the unexpected." The Poe replied.  
"I understand. Then I think I know what I must do." Impa said.  
"Alright. Just be careful on your way though; you cannot afford to get yourself killed now. You said that the spirits of the five you hold are hidden within your shadow, but if you get killed now, chances are that they are either exposed, or they will be trapped within your shadow, which will hinder the resurrection or otherwise even render it impossible."  
"I am aware of the risks that I take with me, but nonetheless thanks for the heads up."  
"Don't mention it. I thank you to have brought peace to my soul, may you find peace to your friends and yourself as well as this land." The Poe said, before it vanished, now at peace enough to ascend to the heavens.  
Impa watched the Poe disappear, which caused her to sigh.  
"At least I have found what I was looking for. It may be a slight change of plans, but it will be a very useful change nonetheless. If Ganondorf and Majora can't be touched for the time being, the next best thing are their forces. I pray to the Goddesses that this plan may succeed… the fate of Hyrule and beyond depends on it." She said to herself, before she left and re-sealed the gravesite, making it appear that it wasn't there at all.  
Making her way out of the Royal Family's Tomb, ignoring the ReDeads along her path, Impa then placed a second seal so no one could desecrate the tomb of Hyrule's Royal Family, after which she made her way out of the Kakariko Graveyard.

Tael and Tatl arrived at the spot where the Deku Tree Sprout stood, with Tael moving boldly closer to it, while Tatl was more hesitant in her approach, feeling that they were in a for them foreign land. Sure she felt somewhat comfortable at seeing other fairies and the Forest Children a bit, but she also got quite nervous because of it. The Deku Tree Sprout sensed the two fairies coming.  
"Well, this is the first time I'm seeing Fairies from a different land in this area. Please introduce yourself." The sprout said.  
"My name's Tael and the fairy following me is my sister Tatl. We come from Termina." Tael said.  
"I see. What is the nature of your business here?"  
"We bring you grave news. It is with regret that I must inform you that the two children of the forest whom resided here once have been killed by the hands of two wicked people: Ganondorf and Majora. Three other people perished too, including two princesses…" Tael said.  
"I had this feeling of dread through my trunks, you confirmed the story… this is a dark era for Hyrule indeed." The sprout replied.  
"Which is why we are here. We want to see if we can be of any assistance to those who remain here with us until those five can be brought back." Tatl said, speaking up before Tael could to prevent him from saying his intentions in a way where the Deku Tree Sprout could interpret it in the wrong way.  
"I see. You mean well with your wish to help them, but at times the best way to help someone with such a loss is to give them some time to cope with it or just provide comfort in the time of need. While I agree people can't keep moping around, some people can take it much harder than others. But if you insist on trying to make them feel better as you apparently wish, you can be of help by just supporting them in the time of need, or offer your assistance whenever the others want to go after the ones responsible in their own way." The Deku Tree Sprout responded.  
"I see, so it's like giving them some company if they want to then?" Tatl asked.  
"Exactly. If they have someone whom genuinely wants to lend an ear for them or wishes to listen what's on their mind, you can be of great help already."  
"Thank you, then I know what we must do." Tatl said.  
"Good. I wish you good fortune, Tael and Tatl." The Deku Tree Sprout said, before the two Fairies left.  
Back in the Kokiri Forest , the two fairies came across Mido and Fado, who blinked at seeing the two fairies.  
"Who are you? We've never seen you before…" Mido said.  
"We're Tatl and Tael, two fairies from Termina." Tatl said.  
"Ah, I see. So what happened to Link and Saria? They haven't returned since yesterday…"  
"I hate to break it to you, but you won't be seeing them for a while. An evil man with dark, malevolent powers killed them." Tatl said.  
"WHAT?!" Mido and Fado shouted, alarming the other Kokiri around.  
"You heard me." Tatl replied.  
"No… Link… Saria…" Fado said, falling backwards on the ground in a sitting position, shivering all over.  
"Look, we're doing the best we can to bring them back, but as long as those two are out running rampant, this is going to be very hard." Tatl said.  
"What do you think we should do?" Mido then asked.  
"Our best advice is to find shelter as soon as possible; if things really go downhill out here in Hyrule, then I doubt this forest will remain safe for long. Besides, Link and Saria both would be devastated when they are brought back to life, only to hear that you lot have been slaughtered by those evil forces." Tael said.  
"Alright, we understand." Mido said, remaining firm as best as he could.  
"Be strong. Once we get them back, those two evil monsters will wish they were NEVER born." Tael said.  
Tatl sweat dropped a bit as she heard her brother talk like that, but it did have the desired effect of making Mido determined to keep his fellow Kokiri safe.  
"Right. I'll do whatever I can to keep my friends here safe, just make sure you give him a beating or two in our name." He said.  
"We'll make sure your autograph will be on it." Tael said, before moving off with Tatl in tow.

Rauru had made his way in Hyrule Field once more after using a disguise of being a mere peasant to remain unsuspected while on his way towards the ruins of Hyrule Castle again. He knew the trip wouldn't be easy due to fresh memories of recent events, but he had to be strong. He couldn't afford to break down or even abandon his mission, it was too important for the sake of the land he had to protect, as well as for his own sake. Using slow, soft steps to bypass the resident ReDeads in the Castle Town, Rauru made his way back into the Castle Field, where the tower that had been the place of most of his friends' demises still stood, but from what he could sense was that the tower had been abandoned after the fateful battle, while in the far distance stood an even taller tower that looked as if it was going to reach the stars. He stopped for a moment to look at the tower, seeing that the dark clouds bellowing around It were even stronger and red lightning was seen around it on occasion. It brought shivers down his spine so feel such an amount of evil coming from that tower at this distance, knowing that the final confrontation would definitely not be easy anymore. He eventually walked on, before his eyes fell on something that he also had been looking for. It was the sword that he saw Zelda using against Ganondorf, but close by, having landed blade-first into the ground as if stabbing into it was the one thing that was taken from Link and so callously tossed off the tower before… the Sword of Evil's Bane… the Master Sword. Rauru could definitely see that the Master Sword has lost its edge, which all but confirmed the story that the Sages' power was connected to it. He decided to take both swords with him, along with anything else he could find as he continued on his way, further down the path towards where he believed the Great Fairy resided.  
"Hopefully I can find out where Venus resides, this whole crisis makes any effort to reach results in our favor quite hard, while evil keeps flowing forth from that dark place. I hope that someday we will be able to undo or repair the damage done, but until then..." He said as he reached the place where the Great Fairy was, according to the Great Fairy of Power.

Impa in the meantime was scouting off Hyrule Field in search of anything of value to be used as part of her new plan. She worked her way around the ranch and towards Gerudo Valley, wondering if their Gerudo allies would be of help too. She knew that she had to infiltrate the enemy camp, but since Ganondorf is a Gerudo of nature, she would have to see if the Gerudo there would have information that could be useful for her as part of her plan. She worked her way over the bridge, noticing that no Gerudo guards were around this time in the Valley, allowing her to proceed to the Fortress.  
"Just hang in there, my friends. I'll reveal my plan to you soon enough." She said as she looked right at her shadow, before moving on.


	16. Chapter 16: A troubled tribe

_Chapter 16: A troubled tribe_

Impa moved closer to the Gerudo Fortress, when one of the Gerudo Guards spotted her.  
"HALT! What is the nature of your business here?" She asked.  
"Relax guard, I come in peace. I request an audience with your commander regarding the events that have transpired here. It is of the greatest urgency." Impa said.  
"How are we so certain that you're not trying to pull anything funny?!"  
"Because this matter also involves your leader Nabooru."  
That made the guard go silent, as if thinking.  
"Wait here, I'll let my commander know of your presence." The guard then said after several seconds, moving into the fortress to bring her report.  
Impa waited patiently, while some of the other guards were eyeing her suspiciously. She frowned at this, but decided to address this when she was having her audience with the commander. After what seemed to be a few minutes, the Gerudo Guard returned.  
"The commander is ready to see you. Follow me." She said, leading the way for Impa into the fortress.

At the same moment, Rauru entered the Great Fairy's Fountain which had been relocated to a different part of the road to what was once Hyrule Castle. Rauru then summoned the Great Fairy, whom appeared in the same fashion as the Great Fairy of Power. The Great Fairy of Magic blinked once she saw who summoned her.  
"Rauru, the Sage of Light! What is the occasion of your visit?" The Great Fairy asked.  
"Ma'am, can you tell me where your Queen Venus is located? I wish to see her regarding a matter of the highest importance." Rauru said.  
"And what is this matter you speak of?" The Great Fairy asked.  
Rauru then explained to the Great Fairy the events that have been going on so far, from the return of Majora to the resurrection of Ganondorf, from the devastating attack on Hyrule, the destruction of the Temple of Time and so forth up until the untimely demise of Link and four of the Sages. To say that the Great Fairy was shocked was an understatement.  
"…this is why we seek your Queen, to bring the deceased ones back to life so we stand once again united against these vile creatures whom had taken them from us." Rauru said, finishing his explanation.  
"I… understand. I never could have thought or imagined that this would happen, I offer my sincerest sympathies for your loss." The Great Fairy of Magic said.  
"Thank you." Rauru said.  
"As for my Queen, I have not seen her in some time, but I can tell you that she usually resides within a sanctuary hidden within the Great Bay area. This sanctuary consists mostly out of water and ice however, so watch your step."  
"We will, ma'am. Thank you for giving me exactly the information that I need."  
"It's no problem. However, I do also advice you to ensure that you're armed or otherwise bring an escort force with you; there may be beings around that will hinder you in your quest."  
"Thank you. We will ensure that we will succeed." Rauru said, before the Great Fairy vanished and Rauru began to proceed on his way back to where Darunia and Navi were.

Impa was led in a room deep within the fortress, where several Gerudo Guards stood present, two at the door, two at the sides of the throne at the other side of the room, where another Gerudo sat on wearing green garments, next to the traditional Gerudo jewelry. Impa walked on towards the throne, before the Guard told her to stop, after which she left. Impa showed no sign of fear or hesitation as she stood in front of the throne, not even when the Gerudo leader rose up.  
"I am Aveil, I'm in charge of the Gerudo Fortress and the Pirate Area within the Great Bay, Termina. State your name and purpose for being here." She said.  
"I am Impa of the Sheikah and the Sage of Shadows. I requested this audience to give you disclosure of the events that have occurred up to this point as well as the fate of the well respected leader and Sage of Spirits, Nabooru." Impa replied.  
That spiked an interest within Aveil, causing her to frown.  
"You know where Nabooru is?" She asked.  
"Yes. It is with my greatest regret that I have to inform you that Nabooru is not among us anymore."  
"WHAT?! Nabooru's dead?!" Aveil asked in horror, also stirring up reactions from the other Gerudo present in the room.  
"Yes. In fact, she was murdered." Impa said, noticing she had received her attention.  
"Are you pulling a joke on us, Sheikah?! Because if you don't explain yourself within the next few seconds, I'll show you what happens to those who make a mockery of the Gerudo Tribe!" Aveil said, glaring at Impa, while the Guards held their weapons closely.  
It was then that Impa brought out her trump card.  
"What the Sheikah said is true, Aveil." A Gerudo female's voice then said within the room, causing Aveil and the guards themselves to look around in utter confusion, ignoring the shadow of Impa extending forward and a spirit rose from it… turning into Nabooru's spirit.  
Upon seeing the spirit of the exalted Nabooru, leader of the Gerudo Tribe, in person, the guards screamed of fright as this happened and Aveil immediately jumped back out of shock.  
"L – L – Lady Nabooru!" Aveil stuttered, right before she bowed towards the spirit, not wanting to show disrespect for her superior.  
The Gerudo guards, after mustering their courage, also bowed, partially out of respect for Nabooru herself as well as preventing to earn the ire of their own superior Aveil in turn.  
"I – I am surprised at seeing you here again, but why are you in the form of a spirit?!" Aveil then asked after getting up.  
"Impa was telling the truth, Aveil. Because of the actions of our former King Ganondorf, I and four of my best friends have joined the ranks of the dead." Nabooru said.  
"No! It can't be!" Aveil said, collapsing in front of her throne, trying her best to regain her composure, while the guards in turn all blinked at this.  
"This is no joke, no sign of forged sorcery or no magic spell. Only truth, Aveil." Nabooru said, ignoring the guards that collapsed either out of fright or sadness.  
"My Lady, forgive me for almost jumping to conclusions." Aveil said, bowing her head in shame.  
"What is with that posture anyway? Last time I checked, the Gerudo were genuine allies of Hyrule's Royal Family. What exactly has happened in my absence?" Nabooru then asked, frowning at Aveil's actions.  
"Allow me to explain, My Lady. Ever since the news of Ganondorf and Majora's return after you had informed us of his evil deeds, our tribe has been in disarray. Several brave Gerudo Warriors have fought alongside the Hyrulean Army against the Army of Darkness as you know, but at the end, most of them were either killed or captured during their retreat or escape. We believe that they are held in the underground dungeons or even worse have been brainwashed to work for Ganondorf. They managed to attack this fortress, but they were repelled in the nick of time. However we learned later that this attack was a diversion, initially intended to take several of our warriors and even our children, but then we heard the news of the survivors of our Fortress in Great Bay, which was also attacked and successfully taken by the forces of the Evil Two." Aveil said.  
"And from where did they launch their attack?"  
"We don't know how; all we know was that they suddenly came from the air in our Great Bay outpost and began to attack us there. We hardly had the time to fight back properly due to us being caught by surprise."  
Spirit Nabooru began to think.  
"I and my four friends have encountered some strange vessels that somehow traveled in the air during our trip in what was supposed to be an outpost-under construction in an unknown area that somehow lies between the Woods of Mystery and Ikana Canyon, due to the area being intended to be colonized by the Deku or where the Deku Kingdom has a complicated shrine there to whatever they may worship. It also felt like a peaceful place for the dead to roam there, it seemed like an idyllic landscape. So I presume the attack must have been launched in secret from that land, although my friends and I defeated the forces of Ganondorf and Majora there…" She said, trying to put two and two together.  
"So you believe that Ganondorf is building forces on unknown locations so that they might launch surprise attacks against us?" Aveil asked.  
"You bet. I reckon that Ganondorf and Majora are taking advantage of the technology that Termina has at its disposal which Hyrule does not have. Which is why Impa is here to inform you of the situation at hand as well as seeking your help." Nabooru said.  
"What can I do for you?" Aveil then asked Impa.  
"We are looking for a way to bring the fallen ones back to life and completely restored to full health. However we also require information as to the whereabouts of their troops so that we can launch a counteroffensive that will soon lead to Ganondorf's permanent downfall, at least we hope that it will be. But to do so, we need to gather information from the enemy itself." Impa replied.  
"I understand, but how are you going to pull this off?"  
"I intend to use the spirits of the fallen ones to temporarily take control of enemy units, so they may communicate with their 'comrades' and as such hopefully reveal information that can be vital for us to use in our own mission to bring Ganondorf and Majora down." Impa said.  
Aveil nodded.  
"I see. It isn't easy to pull something like this off, especially if the enemy is being more cunning or otherwise acting suspicious to maintain their secrecy. However, the best chance of pulling this off might be done in the Spirit Temple. I've overheard that some of the enemy forces have managed to reach the Temple and retake it as a new stronghold from where they can launch attacks from the desert area into other parts. This stronghold isn't complete yet, but I can assure you that it's quite occupied with enemy forces now." Aveil said.  
"Thank you, Aveil. This information will be very useful." Impa said.  
"There is one thing I'd like to know; who have been at your side during those adventures of yours, Lady Nabooru?" Aveil asked.  
"Four brave, courageous children, two of which are of Royal Status and two others having been raised within the forest." Nabooru said.  
"I… I see. I do wonder why you've been taken into Impa's Shadow…"  
"It's because of the dangers that come with this form. Under normal circumstances we would have passed on to the heavenly realms and await our resurrection there, but due to personal regrets and wishes, we couldn't bring ourselves to completely pass on and watch the others down in Hyrule and Termina nearly getting themselves killed. Which is why we have chosen this route so that we, while in spirit form, can still contribute to saving both lands and perhaps the entire world in succession."  
Aveil nodded.  
"Then I can trust you with something that I overheard as I made my escape from our Great Bay fortress. I am not certain if this is true, but I overheard enemy forces talking about having set up an outpost within a mountain region that lies between Ikana Canyon and Snowhead, but to get there, one must find a hidden path that lies within the Woods of Mystery, which leads to a high cliff overlooking the vast lands of Termina and perhaps even Hyrule altogether. It has been said that travelers have to be very careful, rumors are going out that the place feels like a maze and yet they hold something that can be of great use there…" She said.  
"Hmmm, that is something worth looking into. Thank you for your time." Impa said.  
"Don't mention it. I'll have someone assigned as an escort for you whom can guide you safely to the Spirit Temple, just in case." She said.  
"Alright. I swear to you, as the Sage of Shadows, Nabooru will rejoin the ranks of the living." Impa said.  
"I trust you can keep that promise. In return for your intervention on our behalf, we'll offer our fortress and its training ground as a place for you and your friends to hide and train in if you deem it necessary." Aveil said.  
Impa nodded, bowing in gratitude as Nabooru's spirit sank back into Impa's shadow to hide as part of the plan, before Impa was led out of the fortress and Aveil summoned one of her underlings to join the Shadow Sage as an escort force.  
_'Oh boy, this is getting harder than I thought… I never thought to see my people falling into a civil war because of this…'_ Nabooru then telepathically said to Impa.  
_'Gerudo versus Gerudo… leave it to Ganondorf and his hunger for power to involve the rest of Hyrule and Termina into this. I feel sorry for what your people must be going through.'_ Impa said.  
_'It's alright, you couldn't have known. Nevertheless, we should be able to find something in the Spirit Temple if they're using that as a stronghold again. It does bring back bad memories…'_  
_'That explains your distrust of Koume and Kotake when we encountered them in Termina…'_ Link butted in.  
_'Damn straight; it's because of them I've been forced to fight you as an Iron Knuckle, brainwashed by them to do Ganondorf's bidding…'_ Nabooru replied as she sighed, _'…now I feel like I'm experiencing a déjà vu, but now I'm doing this on my own accord.'_  
_'Look at it this way, Nabooru; once we have our temporal bodies, we should be able to wreck some havoc instead once we have the information we need.'_ Zelda said.  
_'True, although you should be careful regarding your first step.'_ Nabooru said.  
_'I wonder what could be suitable for us…'_ Saria said.  
_'We'll see once we get there.'_ Impa said.  
_'This is going to be a trip to remember.'_ Ruto said, just as Impa was being greeted by her escort and the gate to the Haunted Wasteland was opened…

Ganondorf was still sitting on his throne, as if waiting for someone, while Majora was having some fun with torturing the prisoners they decided to keep within their dungeon. It was then that a Stalfos with an improved sword and shield came in, as if he was the commander of a contingent of Stalfos troops along the way.  
"Report." Ganondorf said.  
"Our outpost in the hidden sanctuary of rock and lava has been set up, but the one beyond the Woods of Mystery was however lost as you had foretold. We also have occupied the Spirit Temple and we're in the works of reinforcing the Stone Tower Temple." The Stalfos Commander said.  
"At least there are some results. Anything else?"  
"A search party has been working on finding the landing location of the five people you sought. We managed to locate it, but all we found was a pond of water which was mixed with blood throughout. There were no bodies to be found, but from the traces we could discover, we concluded that the bodies have been picked up by someone else and relocated elsewhere. The search party has been following that trail and will report once they have found the location." The Commander responded.  
"Hmmm, that confirms my suspicion that the remaining Sages must have found them before we did and managed to take the bodies with them. Keep a close watch on the search party and report back to me the minute you have discovered their hideout. Despite being lesser in numbers, they are still a credible threat, especially the Sage of Fire Darunia." Ganondorf said.  
"Yes, sir. I have another thing to report though; one of my soldiers saw the Sheikah woman traveling in the direction of the Gerudo Fortress and has been tailing her in secret for some time. I am not certain why, but I believe that she may be seeking out the Gerudo there for assistance." He said.  
"What? Impa seeking out the Gerudo? This is unexpected... she could be after our renewed stronghold in the Spirit Temple. Send a scout out to warn our forces there of the incoming enemy. Remain cautious though; the Shadow Sage can manipulate the Shadows and the darkness into her advantage; it was because of this that she was able to get herself, Darunia and the Light Sage Rauru back out to Hyrule Field before we could end them like how Majora and I ended Link and the Sages. While I am pretty certain that those five may have not survived their harsh landing, I want the search party to confirm that they're dead. I am not taking any chances, especially when it comes to those Sages." Ganondorf then replied.  
"Forgive me for the inquiry, but why do you bare such an animosity for those people?"  
"Because they're the only ones capable of actually stopping me. They did it once before by exposing my plans when I tried to swear 'allegiance' to the King of Hyrule and in a different time they managed to defeat me there. So as a combined force, The Hero of Time and the Seven Sages are more than enough to stop me if given the time to properly grow stronger. We were lucky this time that they severely miscalculated the power I just received, partially due to my alliance with Majora, but still; that group of eight people have the capability to learn from their mistakes. See to your orders, commander." Ganondorf said.  
"I understand, sir. Your will shall be done." The Stalfos commander said before moving off to have the orders executed.  
Ganondorf nodded before the Commander left, sighing.  
_'Maybe I should have finished the group off at once and taken their powers for myself... but I feel certain that I can rectify that mistake...'_ He thought to himself, rubbing his left side and left thigh, wincing at the injuries that Link and Zelda both left behind on him as a final act of defiance or resistance before Ganondorf hurt the both of them so badly that he knew that they would have succumbed to their injuries at any given time after that. But now that their bodies weren't discovered, he began to wonder what has happened to them...  
He decided to simply await the report first before he would move to action. Perhaps Majora could be useful again in seeing what can be done about their bodies, if they are found that is...

Majora on his turn was beginning to feel a bit bored, recently placing a curse on a small group of Gerudo women that were captured by turning them into Gibdos and ReDeads, although one Elite Gerudo caught his interest in remaining defiant and battle-hardened. He decided to do what Kotake and Koume had done before to Nabooru herself; he brainwashed the Gerudo Elite and encased her in an armor that turned her into an Iron Knuckle, sending her off to guard the prison area in his absence. Majora cackled as the remaining Gerudo watched in horror from their cells as this happened, some of them even crying as it showed perfectly what kind of a sicko Majora really was...

Darunia was still sitting patiently in the Ice Cave while Epona had moved off to get something to drink and warm up a bit after he had showed the horse the way, while Navi decided to stick with the horse, also needing some time away from the place, promising the Goron Leader that she would be back soon. Darunia simply nodded, sighing as he remained in position... until he heard footsteps coming in the Ice Cave after about 15 minutes. Multiple footsteps in fact! This unsettled him as he rose up, his bulky frame itching at delivering some pain to the intruders. Sure enough, a group of Stalfos suddenly barged in the room, each of them ready.  
"You fiends... even now you choose to disgrace this land with your presence... allow me to put you in the place where you belong!" He said, cracking his knuckles as he got ready to attack!  
The Stalfos on their turn raised their shields and readied their swords, ready to show the foolish Goron for getting in their way. It was then that one of the Stalfos took note of the bodies it could barely see behind the icy wall and attempted to warn its comrades of it, only for Darunia to knock its head clean off, the skull smashing in pieces against the icy wall at the back, its body disintegrating in blue flames.  
"You vile beings of darkness do not belong here! DIE!" Darunia said as he then attacked the Stalfos, whom retaliated in kind.  
The Stalfos did put up quite the resistance, but Darunia was way stronger and delivered a serious pounding to the invading Stalfos, showing them how pissed off he was by this desecration of the Ice Cave. As the fight lasted, it was clear that Darunia had the upper hand, but as he was being occupied by the Stalfos, he failed to notice the presence of a Poe that sneaked into the same room and reached the ice gravestone which contained the five bodies which were now frozen over and through this also conserved. Using this information, the Poe retreated while letting Darunia finish off the Stalfos, intending to take the information to the Stalfos Commander, but not before it witnessed, while turning invisible, Darunia slaughtering the Stalfos forces present, effectively wiping out the initial search party in response. Darunia simply let himself go in his own action of rage and vengeance, showing the Stalfos his wrath as he unleashed parts of his own frustration onto them, breaking their bones and crushing their skulls as he delivered strike after strike from his massive fists. As two of the Stalfos tried to attack him from the side, Darunia retaliated by delivering a dual-punch to the side that knocked the ribcages of the skeletal fighters clean off from the rest of the body, killing the Stalfos in question instantly as their remaining bones clattered on the ground, disintegrating. The Stalfos Search Party was soon completely decimated as it didn't stand a chance against the raging Sage of Fire. Once the battle was over, Darunia himself panted as he stood among the disintegrating remains of the Stalfos, having received several cuts here and there, but despite that still battle-hardened and ready to engage any other enemy that tried to get in. He then turned towards the area where the encased bodies of Nabooru, Saria, Link, Zelda and Ruto laid, whom still were present there as if nothing had came to them or tried to take their bodies away. They were left completely undisturbed. Sighing of relief, Darunia relaxed, so he could tend to his injuries properly.  
_'How did those evil goons get here?! I don't understand... wait... of course! They must have followed the trail we may have left behind while we were carrying the bodies of Brother Link and his dearest friends all the way here! They did lie in that pond, so they must have been following the trail that came from any remaining wounds that bled out as well as the trails of bloodied water from the pond! Curses, it appears we may need to relocate to a different place if this keeps up!'_ Darunia thought to himself as he thought about what has happened, being agitated at the fact that more minions of Ganondorf and Majora could come if they would follow the trail. He would discuss this with Rauru once he came back... and where in the name of Hyrule had Impa gone to?! She never let him know where he went... but perhaps she was still in a too much of a turmoil in order to even return... he couldn't blame her for that; after all she lost the one person she was supposed to watch over herself... but still, where had she gone to? Darunia hoped that Impa didn't get herself into any trouble, or there'd be hell to pay! Any form of carelessness now was not needed, could not be used and was not desired at any level, considering what has happened so far... He sighed as he nursed his wounds a bit, cauterizing the worst-looking ones regarding the cuts he received a bit so they wouldn't bleed anymore and just waited for the healing process to kick in.  
_'Impa... Rauru... Navi... please return safely...'_ He thought to himself as he sat back down to calm down a bit, glad that the invading troops was repelled for now, but if more of them would dare to show their faces, he would be ready to cave their skulls in!


	17. Chapter 17: Ninja Control

_Chapter 17: Ninja Control_

The Gerudo Escort guided Impa along the Haunted Wasteland, using the flagpoles to reach at least the center hideout that were present, before both women ventured throughout the desert sand towards the Desert Colossus, the area which was home to the Spirit Temple itself. Thankfully the desert wind was blowing much more softly this time around, giving the women a better sight over the path ahead, which in turn allowed them to reach the Desert Colossus safely.  
"Well, here we are." The Gerudo said as the two arrived at the Desert Colossus.  
"The Spirit Temple itself... it looks so huge and majestic..." Impa said.  
"It is, huh? This used to be the stronghold of Ganondorf and his troops, before the young man in the green tunic went into the Temple and liberated it from its clutches, coupled with the liberation of the exalted Nabooru, whom we later learned was being brainwashed by those two witches Koume and Kotake..."  
"And now it's being occupied again, right?" Impa then said.  
"Indeed it is..." The Gerudo said, sighing, "...they managed to get here during the staged attack on our fortress. It's as if they intended to create the diversion to keep us occupied and leaving us unable to call for reinforcements, even more when our main opponents were our comrades who were either brainwashed or otherwise willingly joined the ranks of Ganondorf and Majora in turn..."  
Impa sympathized with the young Gerudo, whom obviously was agitated.  
"I take it things must have been hard for you then?" She asked.  
"Yes," The Gerudo responded, "even more when I later discovered that one of the captured Gerudo was my elder sister. I haven't heard from her ever since she was taken away, so I assume she must have been brainwashed to do Ganondorf's bidding as well... or even worse..."  
"Look, we'll do whatever we can to put an end to Ganondorf's diabolical schemes, but I can't make any guarantees as to how long it may take. The deaths of Nabooru, Saria, Link, Zelda and Ruto shocked all of us..." Impa replied.  
"Those are the names of Lady Nabooru's friends?" The Gerudo asked.  
"Yes. Nabooru admired each of them for their own skills, with Link having earned her respect for outright stating to her that he hates Ganondorf. Nabooru told me later on that she liked Link because of that statement, stating that he had the guts for simply saying it to her face and also appreciated his efforts for helping her in retrieving the things that Nabooru was looking for herself, until she became brainwashed that is..."  
The Gerudo nodded.  
"So this could be a déjà vu for the both of them then, huh?" She asked.  
"That it is indeed..." Impa replied, sighing deeply, "at least both will be able to do their part in wrecking havoc among Ganondorf's troops here, fighting side by side."  
"True." The Gerudo said, nodding as the two advanced carefully to the Spirit Temple, taking out a few Leevers that tried to be a bother along the way.

Rauru safely made it back into Hyrule Field with his disguise still on, before he turned himself into a Light Wisp again and made a rapid dash towards the Lost Woods area again, intending to move to the Ice Cave where Darunia was still present. He was unaware of what has happened so far regarding the invasion of Stalfos in the Ice Cave or what Impa had been doing, thus remaining oblivious to the fact of Impa's negotiation with the Gerudo and using her own plan to wreck some havoc within the Spirit Temple. Rauru did stop for a moment as he saw a Floormaster patrolling in Hyrule Field, obviously being on its way to a different destination, waiting until the monster had passed by before continuing on towards his destination. It was quite a hectic trip, but he would see to it that he would prevail. Hopefully Darunia could be of assistance with taking the bodies to the Fairy Queen's residence as they would go and find her to see if she could grant them their wish.

Tatl and Tael were on their way back towards the Ice Cave as well, with the siblings flying next to each other.  
"Tael, are you sure that this is a good idea?" Tatl asked.  
"Trust me, Tatl, as long as we stick around with them and help them in any way we can, perhaps we can have a bit of redemption of our own." Tael said.  
"What do you mean?"  
"I just feel bad for the time I hung around Skull Kid while he was being possessed by the Mask and being unable to stop the mask from letting the Skull Kid do the things he did. I was a fool back then… which is why I was happy that someone was able to stand up to him… Meeting Link was a godsend" Tael said.  
"I see…"  
"You know, if it wasn't for him, we too would have perished if that mask succeeded in using its powers to bring the moon down on Termina, along with the Skull Kid itself and everyone in Termina altogether." Tael then said.  
Tatl floated in place for a moment.  
"Thanks for that particular flashback, I needed that." Tatl muttered sarcastically under her breath, before flying off behind her brother, obviously upset because of what her brother just said.

Impa and her Gerudo escort safely entered the Spirit Temple, dodging the Flying Pots as they arrived at the entrance, noticing the small elevator platform that was on the hallway at the far side of the room they were in, with the left side providing entry for the children while the other side was for adults, although Impa and her escort used the elevator to reach the first floor right away, figuring that they had to go there, before walking over a path of which the giant blocks with the Gerudo Emblem on it had already been pushed in their respective holes.  
"That's strange; this path was supposedly blocked before…" The Gerudo said.  
"Maybe the forces who have re-occupied this temple have been clearing the path first?" Impa asked, thinking that some of the strongest goons could be good enough to push those heavy blocks into their appropriate holes…  
"Could be…" The Gerudo said as the two proceeded carefully.  
The two carefully proceeded on until entering the Colossus Room, which was apparently empty, coupled with the sight of already opened chests and solved puzzles. However, Impa leaned in to the right as if listening in to something.  
"What is it?" The Gerudo asked.  
"It's a Floormaster. It's patrolling on the higher staircase to our right." Impa said.  
"So there are forces that have occupied this Temple after all…" The Gerudo said as the two walked on.  
"It appears so. Link and Zelda both told me that they don't like the Floormasters one bit because of its resilient nature and just dashing straight into you all the time, but they find one enemy WORSE than the Floormaster…" Impa said, looking up suspiciously.  
"And what would that be?" The Gerudo asked.  
Impa responded by grabbing the Gerudo and hopping backwards, a split-second later followed by another disembodied hand landing on the spot where Impa and the Gerudo once stood, right before Impa ended the creature's life rapidly.  
"What in Nabooru's name was that?!" The Gerudo asked terrified.  
"A Wallmaster. The kind of beings that can take you all the way back to the entrance of this temple if you're not careful. It's the kind of sneaky pieces of shit that you want to avoid like the plague." Impa said, before putting her daggers away.  
"They can do that?!" She asked, blinking.  
"You bet; my friends have seen plenty of them during their adventures and I can't blame them for their animosity to those creatures."  
The Gerudo gulped at this as the area seemed calm for now.  
"So, where to now? We may need to go up here somewhere, but is it the safe area to our left or is it the area where the Floormaster is patrolling around?"Impa then asked.  
"Not sure... I think we should look either side to see if we can find what we are looking for..." The Gerudo said.  
The Gerudo nodded, seeing what Impa was getting at as she was ready to follow, first climbing up the area to the left and through that ignoring the area with the Floormaster for the time being. Moving through the door, they entered a stairway that led to a room with different Sun Blocks, which remained in place.  
"Security isn't quite heavy around here; are they trying to rebuild this?" Impa asked.  
"It appears so, or they could be conversing in a different room altogether." The Gerudo said.  
"Hmmm…" Impa said, thinking.  
"Lady Impa, how come you have been able to keep the spirits of the fallen ones with you?"  
"I'm the Shadow Sage; I've been training in using my medallion to manipulate and control shadows if I see fit. It hasn't seen much action so far, but I believe it'll come of great use here. What I've done now is using my own shadow to hide my friends' spirits inside for their own safety." Impa replied.  
The Gerudo nodded in understanding as the two proceeded on, avoiding the present Beamos and Red Bubbles as they continued on their way.

Darunia watched as Navi was currently sleeping on top of the Fairy Statue, evidently being tired and needing some rest. He simply waited again, being on guard and not letting anyone else visit this cave… He was ready to fight to protect the gravesite. Little did he know that the Poe whom had escaped flew on to meet with the Stalfos Commander at the far side of Hyrule Field, close to the entrance to Lake Hylia in fact, intending to report what it had seen, believing that Ganondorf and Majora would love to hear the result of this, considering what they have done. However it also meant that the loss of the Search Party had to be reported as well, since Darunia took care of all of them in his own wrath-induced rampage. He knew the Stalfos Commander wouldn't be happy to know that one of his squads had been decimated…

Impa and the Gerudo managed to sneak their way into the next corridor, which was apparently empty. They could hear voices at the other side of the door up ahead.  
"What's going on out there?" The Gerudo asked.  
"Shhh." Impa said, motioning for her to be quiet.  
As the two listened, they could hear the talking, but it was too muffled to hear clearly what they were saying.  
"Hang onto me." Impa whispered.  
The Gerudo did so, right before she saw herself and Impa sinking into their own shadows… or rather one shadow, as the Gerudo's was now connected to Impa's! She wanted to look at Impa's, only to have her reassure her.  
"Trust me." She said, right before the two were submerged into Impa's Shadow, right before it moved itself underneath the door and into the room where Link first had fought an Iron Knuckle.  
The throne on which the Iron Knuckle had seated before was still there… and was now being occupied by what appeared to be a group of goons whom were wearing robes that concealed their appearances. From a distance, Impa rose her head from her shadow, as did the Gerudo, spying on them from behind a pillar.  
"Who are those?! I've never seen them before in here…" The Gerudo whispered.  
"I have no idea…" Impa said.  
"I have…" A young boy then whispered.  
"Link?!" Impa asked, blinking at seeing Link's head popping up from the shadow, followed by Zelda's…  
"These are Garo Robes, a type of ninja I've seen dwelling around the Ikana region…" Link said, whispering as he observed the still unaware group of enemies.  
"But what are they doing here?" Impa asked.  
"I don't know… either Majora has planned and/or brainwashed them, or they could be here for a mission of their own…" Link replied back as Zelda moved next to him as they watched…

"So, you understand what we must do?" The Garo in the purple cloak, which Link had identified as the Garo Master, asked its underlings.  
"Yes, we must spread out in Hyrule to look for the remaining Sages as well as the bodies of those whom were killed. We also need to look for surviving villagers or other people to be captured if they do not obey to the will of Ganondorf and Majora." One of them said.  
"Correct, since Ikana Canyon is in a stalemate, we need to ensure that other nations will not become a threat to our land. We already had suffered numerous losses in our battles against the Ikana Kingdom; we need to be sure that other nations will not come and take advantage of this. Our new allies have said that a small group of various races alone can be a credible threat if given the right circumstances, so we need to be sure that we will not fall prey to them, wherever they may be." The Garo Master said.  
"So where do we spread out?" A second Garo asked.  
"Our leaders have their desire to spread out over time. Once this Temple has been secured, they will fall out to take over the village at the base of the erupting mountain, Ikana itself and the vast forest that connects Hyrule with Termina in order to cut off any potential supply lines that is needed to keep the survivors fed and through this force them to submit to our leaders."  
"Understood." The second Garo said.

"Hmm, those Garo can come in useful for you and the others." Impa then said to Link.  
"How so?" Zelda asked.  
"These Garo are shrouded in mystery and will leave no corpse behind when perished. Considering the fact that they are ninjas can be excellent for stealth and obtaining the information we need." Link said.  
"Alright, so how do we control them?" Zelda asked.  
"We'll stun them first for you, after which you can enter their bodies and take control of them." Impa said as she was determined to pull this off, as the spirits of Link and Zelda sunk back in the shadow, while Impa and the Gerudo rose from it instead, hiding behind the pillars in order to plan their strike. Impa handed some Deku Nuts over to the Gerudo for assistance, whom accepted it with a nod.  
"Remember, shield your own eyes when throwing one; these will release a blinding flash upon impact." Impa whispered to the Gerudo.  
"Understood." She said as the two women took position.

"So, this land will soon follow the rule of Ganondorf and Majora, so we can cease all obligations and ensure that we benefit from this alliance and hopefully defeat the Ikana Kingdom once and for all." The Garo Master said.  
"Think again, buster!" A female voice then said.  
"What the-?! Who said that?!" The Garo Master said.  
"We did." The Gerudo said as she and Impa came into view.  
"What?! How did you get in here?! You must have a lot of guts to invade on our meeting here!"  
"For the record, the Spirit Temple is part of GERUDO territory; you don't belong here!"  
"Very well, since you obviously hold claims to this area, let's see if those claims are valid!" The Garo Master said, arming itself with its flaming swords, while the Garo Robes had their regular blades with them.  
Impa however smirked.  
"Let's see what you got then." She said, crouching low as if preparing to jump.  
Without hesitation, the four Garo Robes and their Master attacked, only for Impa and the Gerudo to leap over their attacks and let several Deku Nuts fly around, covering their own eyes while the Garo on their turn were being stunned by the Deku Nuts' blinding flash released upon impact.  
"Now!" Impa shouted, extending her Shadow to the stunned Garo Robes and their Master.  
Immediately the spirit forms of Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto charged at the Garo Robes, while Nabooru went for the Garo Master, entering those bodies simultaneously. For several second, the Garo bodies convulsed a bit as the dark and empty spirits were vanquished and the good spirits assumed control over their bodies, in effect 'transforming' from Spirit forms to Garo forms. After about a minute, the five spirit had full control over their new bodies.  
"Whew, this is going to take a bit to get used to." Garo Zelda said.  
"I know right? The first steps will definitely be a bit clumsy, but once you get used to it, it'll feel a bit natural." Garo Link said.  
"Good thing this is only temporary…" Garo Saria said.  
"Will this affect our normal bodies in the slightest?" Garo Master Nabooru asked.  
"Regarding physical moves and abilities, no. What remains is simply the memory of how to use such a body in case this kind of control is needed again." Garo Link said.  
"Wow, it feels quite exquisite to be in control of a body other than my own." Garo Ruto said.  
"I wonder what our role will be here…" Garo Saria said.  
"According to this one's memories, this group is technically a unit of spies, which will serve this quest well…" Garo Master Nabooru said.  
"True, but have they remained together?" Garo Zelda asked.  
"In this case, yes. They were actually making a plan of action to move out and spread among Hyrule so they could spy on everyone here." Garo Master Nabooru replied.  
"Hmmm, perhaps we should put that to the test…" Garo Link said.  
"What do you mean?"  
"You said that the Garo Ninjas wanted to spy on everyone in Hyrule, according to their memories, correct? Why not 'prove' that to Ganondorf and Majora by doing actually this against their soldiers here and show them exactly how well the Garo can handle themselves."  
"I see where you're going with this; by putting it into practice, it gives us the chance we need to get an insight on their plans, right?" Garo Zelda asked.  
"Not just that; if Ganondorf and Majora find out that we have become aware of their plans and that the Garo have been spying on them, they'll likely concentrate themselves to sit with the Garo Leaders to find out what exactly has happened there, which in turn keeps them occupied long enough for us to make a getaway…" Garo Link said.  
"… and through that continue with our own plans, which includes your resurrection!" Impa said with a smile catching onto Link's plan.  
"Wow, looks like you've been thinking this over." Garo Saria said.  
"Well, it proves that strength isn't everything to best an enemy. Besides, we should take advantage of the fact that, through this, we're technically part of the undead." Garo Link said.  
"No argument there." Garo Ruto said.  
"But what about you, Impa?" Garo Zelda then asked.  
"My escort and I will hide amongst the shadows and will be standing by to help out if needed. Just be careful though; there are likely more enemies around; I've already seen a Floormaster in the room with the Colossus and the room containing several Sun Blocks are almost swarming with Red Bubbles and Beamos." Impa said.  
The Garo group nodded.  
"We won't be bothered much by them due to our new disguise, it's just you and your escort that need to remain careful, especially against sneaky enemies like the Wallmasters." Garo Link said.  
"Have they been that much of a pain to you?" The Gerudo escort asked.  
"You have no idea." Garo Link and Garo Zelda said in perfect unison.  
Garo Saria and Garo Ruto shuddered at this, while Garo Master Nabooru also looked somewhat uncomfortable.  
"I understand. You should get going and, by all means, act as natural as possible; that way the enemy won't see through your disguise." Impa said.  
"Thanks for the heads up. Hopefully they'll be as easily fooled like when I'm wearing the Stone Mask." Garo Link said, before turning to Garo Master Nabooru.  
"So, 'Master', what are your orders?" Garo Link then asked.  
"Huh?!" Garo Master Nabooru asked.  
"Garo Masters are like the superior officers to the Garo Robes; heck, when I was wearing the Garo Mask, they actually appeared before me, thinking I was their Master, before realizing their mistake and attacking me." Garo Link said.  
"Ah, I see." Garo Master Nabooru said.  
"We should line up then." Garo Zelda said with a chuckle.  
Garo Saria and Garo Ruto both giggled as they stood next to Garo Link and Garo Zelda.  
"Alright then. Your orders are simple; stick around here and gather intelligence as best as you can. Link, you know this temple by now, at least part of it; you, Saria and Zelda should be able to get most what we need. Ruto and I will go the other way, but keep in touch and report back to me the minute you have some valuable information." Garo Master Nabooru said.  
"Yes ma'am." Garo Link, Zelda and Saria said in unison before moving off.  
"We'll be moving around as well to ensure everything goes as planned." Impa said, letting herself and her escort sink back in her shadow to hide.  
The five reformed Garo Ninjas then went on their way, moving back to the Colossus Room from where they would split up and execute their mission.

Darunia looked up when he heard another set of footsteps coming his way, but this time it was a single set. He got up, his arms at his side, ready to defend himself.  
"Relax, Darunia, it's me, Rauru." A male voice then said, right before Rauru himself walked in the room.  
Seeing this, Darunia did stand down right away.  
"You've been gone for some time." Darunia said.  
"I know. It wasn't easy, but I managed to retrieve the rest of our friends' equipment as well as having the information that we need to resurrect them." Rauru replied.  
"You have?"  
"Yes. I was told about Venus, the Queen of the Fairies, whom currently resides on an island somewhere off the Great Bay area. If we go to her, perhaps she can help in resurrecting them."  
"I see. How do we even get there?"  
"We'll discuss that once we're underway. By the way, where is Impa?"  
"Impa needed some time by herself after the realization that by weakening us, the Master Sword lost part of its power and through that Ganondorf was only wounded, not killed by Link's hand. Which in turn allowed Ganondorf to deal the deathblow to him and his best friends… she hasn't returned for some time now. Then again, I was too focused on keeping this shrine safe to keep proper track of her movements. About half an hour ago, a group of Stalfos came here and attacked. I decimated them all, but…"  
"Wait, you fought a group of Stalfos here?! How did they get here?!" Rauru asked, appalled.  
"My best guess is that they must have followed a trail or something we unwittingly may have left behind while carrying the bodies of our friends to here. It could be residue from fresh injuries or their clothes had soaked up a big portion of the water from the pond they fell in." Darunia said.  
"This is most unfortunate. This all but increases the haste for us to move out before they return with reinforcements."  
"I decimated every Stalfos that came in here, so no one escaped. However, this does not rule out the possibility of others following that trail."  
"Right. First, we need to get our friends out from their grave here, so we can take them with us."  
"How are we going to do that without their bodies decomposing underway?"  
"Leave that to me." Rauru said.  
Darunia shrugged and went to work to carefully breaking the ice wall around the group, using his Fire Sage abilities to actually weld a slab of ice out of the wall to keep the bodies sealed within the ice, which eventually resulted in a large ice block that contained the five bodies in. Rauru then invoked his own powers to seal the ice block in a blue crystal to keep the cold inside, before that crystal was magically shrunken down to the size of a large Rupee, which Rauru pocketed for the time being.  
"Through this we can carry their bodies with us, yet have our hands free in case we need our powers for combat underway." Rauru said.  
Darunia nodded.  
"Now we need to find Impa and let her come and join us." He said.  
Rauru concentrated as if he was trying to locate her.  
"I have sensed that Impa has been invoking her Shadow Medallion for her own purpose. I just need to pinpoint her location as she was constantly on the move before…" Rauru said.  
Darunia nodded, before seeing Navi waking up and flying to him.  
"I found her; she's at the Spirit Temple in the Desert Colossus, past Gerudo Valley." Rauru said after several minutes.  
"What?! Why would Impa be all the way there?" Darunia asked.  
"We'll find out once we get there. Let's go." Rauru said as he turned to leave. Darunia and Navi followed suit.


	18. Chapter 18: On the move

_Chapter 18: On the move_

Upon returning back to the Colossus Room, Garo Link, Garo Zelda and Garo Saria separated themselves from the others to proceed with their part of the mission, heading towards the other side of the Temple. Surprisingly, the enemies fell for the trap as the resident Floormaster in the Colossus Room ignored them and went back on its patrol, allowing the group to proceed further.  
"Where are we going?" Garo Saria asked.  
"We'll check the room where I used to fight another Iron Knuckle to get a different shield as a reward after. If we don't find anything of importance there, we need to reach the room where I had to lower a platform on the top floor that will allow us to reach the corridor to the room where I had fought Twinrova before." Garo Link said.  
"Twinrova?" Garo Zelda parroted.  
"The fused entity of Koume and Kotake." Garo Link explained.  
"Those two witches we saw back in Termina?" Garo Saria asked.  
"Yep. Back then, they had brainwashed Nabooru and tried to kill me." Garo Link said.  
"Yikes! That must have been quite a fight!" Garo Zelda said.  
"It was. The only good thing was that I had my Mirror Shield with me that allowed me to reflect their magic back at them, which was the only way to actually beat them." Garo Link said as the three continued on their way.  
"Wow, that must have been quite dangerous."  
"It was. Their attacks could drain life rather quickly, so I had to be certain I was either out of the firing line or had the shield ready in time. Which is why I decided to use only my shield first."  
Garo Zelda could see the logic in that.  
"Such stories could be great to be passed on to our descendants…" Garo Saria said.  
"True. But first we need to ensure the distraction needed for our resurrection has been placed. We'll first eavesdrop a bit around do see what they're talking about. Perhaps we could use that information to progress properly; acting too soon or too much aggression may reveal our intentions or expose us." Garo Link said.  
"Right. Besides, we're dead already, so this could be even more dangerous than ever." Garo Zelda said.

"Report." The Stalfos Commander said once he saw the Poe coming to him while standing in front of the broken gate towards Lake Hylia.  
"I have good news and I have bad news." The Poe said.  
"Start with the good."  
"I have located the bodies of the five whom were mauled by our masters. They are most definitely dead; their bodies have been sealed inside a wall of ice that could most definitely be done to preserve the bodies."  
"That is terrific, what's the bad news?"  
"The Stalfos Search Party that joined in on this was wiped out by Darunia, the Sage of Fire. I managed to get out before he could get to me."  
The Stalfos Commander bowed his head.  
"Those were some fine soldiers. However, we did reach our objective in finding the bodies of the fallen ones; Lord Ganondorf still wishes for that forest boy and the princess of the Hylian people to be brought to him because of the Triforce Pieces they wield. You may go and keep an eye on the area. I'll need to bring report to Lord Ganondorf soon."  
"Understood, sir." The Poe said before it vanished out of sight.  
The Stalfos Commander watched it vanish, doing some thinking.  
"So, those five are indeed goners… but if the others are so relentless, this could be a problem in case we try to retrieve them… looks like I need to assemble a new group of Stalfos…" He said as he went on his way.

While underway to Hyrule Field, Darunia, Rauru and Navi were soon enough joined by Epona and later on by Tatl and Tael, explaining that Impa for some reason was within the Spirit Temple. They first decided to bring Epona back to Lon Lon Ranch for the time being, considering that the ranch was so far still untouched, as if it was of no interest to Ganondorf and Majora both for the time being. Even though there were still Guays moving around at night and it was dangerous to go out during the day regarding deliveries of the delicious Lon Lon Milk, the ranch owner Talon, his daughter Malon and the worker Ingo were largely ignored by Ganondorf and Majora's troops; the only ones that did form a bother were the Poes, but those harassed any traveler along the way, regardless of where or who they are. Luckily Darunia and Rauru weren't intimidated in the slightest as they brought Epona back to the ranch, much to the delight of Malon whom was worried about her. Afterwards, the two Sages and the three Fairies made their way into Gerudo Valley, towards the Haunted Wasteland.

Garo Master Nabooru and Garo Ruto, while being tailed by Impa and her escort whom were hidden amongst the shadows, went in a different direction, exploring the area which Link had explored before while being in the Temple a year before, which was shown by the already solved puzzles, unlocked doors and the opened chests. They could hear some chatting in one of the rooms up ahead, which turned out to be a room where Link had to use a Bombchu in order to get light to shine on a sun face on the floor. As they watched, they could see two Lizalfos conversing together, while Baby Dodongos were roaming around in search of something to eat and a Beamos was keeping an eye out against any intruder it could detect.  
"So, have you heard about the planned attack?" The First Lizalfos asked.  
"What? Did Lord Ganondorf and Majora have something in mind?" The Second Lizalfos responded.  
"Yeah, now that those Sages and their Hero are out of the way, both plan to spread their influence out over Hyrule and Termina."  
"And how are they going to do that?"  
"They've set up outposts in the least suspected areas, in particular within areas between the known regions so they can gather up and attack from two or even more than two fronts simultaneously."  
"Really? That requires some major preparation then."  
"True. The only setback is that an outpost in the land beyond the Woods of Mystery was discovered by mere coincidence and the forces there slaughtered by those five whom Ganondorf and Majora killed, but that outpost was set up only recently, so the losses weren't that exactly big."  
"Hmmm… do you know where the others have settled?"  
"Of course. One outpost was recently set up in a different part of the forest between Hyrule and Termina, while another, more advanced outpost was placed in a nigh inhospitable land within a vast sanctuary consisting mostly of rock and lava. The paths there are passable, but it's definitely quite sophisticated." The first Lizalfos said.  
"And from where can they launch attacks then in that area?"  
"The sanctuary's hidden somewhere between Ikana Canyon and Snowhead, considering the presence of a mountain area as well as an actual volcano, which explains the lava. It was supposed to be inaccessible, but recently a path towards it has been excavated… in fact, you need to go to the Southern Swamp to get there properly, since the entrance to it was hidden very well."  
"I see." The second Lizalfos said, nodding.  
"Another thing is that the area is like a maze, which is perfect to stash our best equipment and soldiers for the invasion there."  
"True and since those five are goners, we can take over the lands without much opposition."  
"Exactly. Couple that with the amount of troops we're building up now, it'll only be a matter of time before this whole world is under our control." The first Lizalfos said.  
"Hmmm. I have one question though; Ganondorf may be out looking for that forest boy and the princess. What will happen if he gets to their bodies?"  
"That's for Ganondorf to know. He'll likely take their Triforce pieces and will have either their corpses stuffed and mounted somewhere or perhaps reanimated to have them work for him for all I know."  
Unknown to them, they were being watched by Garo Master Nabooru and Garo Ruto as well as Impa and her Gerudo escort. Needless to say the four were currently seething with fury for being mocked like that, with Impa's fury directed mostly at what Ganondorf's plans could be. They were lucky that Link wasn't with them now, since he would have likely gone ahead to decapitate the Lizalfos for suggesting such a thing. Thankfully the four retained their composure and moved on, with only Impa and her escort invisible, Garo Master Nabooru and Garo Ruto passing by as if nothing happened and the Lizalfos, aware of the presence of the Garo Ninjas already, ignored them…

Ganondorf once again sat on his throne, Majora floating beside him, when one of the Poes came to him, presenting two bottles with each containing a crimson-red liquid which obviously had a darker and perhaps even a thicker substance to it than the medicine known as the Red Potion..  
"We managed to get some of the blood of the young forest boy and the princess that remained on the tower, my Lord." The Poe said.  
"Good, very good." He said, smirking.  
"What exactly are you up to?" Majora then asked.  
"Just watch." Ganondorf said, as the Poe opened the bottles.  
Igniting his Triforce of Power for a moment, Ganondorf directed some of his dark magic into both bottles. Within seconds, the contents of those bottles began to boil and turned pitch black, before rising from the bottles like it became thick, black smoke, both of which settled in front of Ganondorf, after which both plumes began to grow and contort into humanoid shapes… one male and one female… For now retaining their rather foggy shape, their eyes opened, which revealed the eerie crimson red eyes as if they were made out of pure evil, before their shapes got more solid.  
"Your orders?" Both asked in a tone that sounded clear yet with a low pitch that added to their demonic side.  
"Go forth and seek out the remaining sages, but do not reveal yourselves yet. I want you to stay hidden from their sight and spy on them, I want to know exactly what Darunia, Rauru and Impa are up to, so report back to me once you have located them and know of their intentions." Ganondorf said, watching as both figures now gained the full appearance of both Link and Zelda, but both having a distinct dark appearance, consisting mostly out of dark gray to pitch black, save only for those blood-red eyes.  
"Yes, my Lord." Both Dark Link and Dark Zelda said, bowing before they left to execute their orders.  
"Huh?! What is that good for?" Majora asked, confused.  
"If the Sages are concerned, they will definitely seek out a high power that is capable of resurrecting the ones we killed back then. Anticipating this, I had the order given to collect what can be salvaged of the blood of the two I manhandled personally, so they can later on begin with causing some confusion and orient on ensuring that they can reach those places where we couldn't go before or otherwise had no access to and yet these two can. Perhaps if they can even get their hands on some of the treasure that the others still may have in their possession, coupled with their memories and everything…" Ganondorf said.  
"So, by making these dark clones, you could try to coax some of their remaining friends to join us then?" Majora asked.  
"In a way, yes. In case those two are resurrected, let's see if they can clear their names if it comes to that…"  
Just then, the Stalfos Commander came in.  
"I take it you have a report to make?" Ganondorf asked.  
"Yes, sir. I can confirm that Link, Zelda, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru are indeed dead; one of my underlings has seen their corpses sealed inside a hidden ice cave somewhere in the vast forest between Hyrule and Termina. However the Search Party that accompanied it was completely wiped out by Darunia, the Fire Sage." The Stalfos Commander said.  
"I see." Ganondorf said, nodding.  
"I request to have a new battalion of Stalfos assigned to compensate for the loss."  
"Very well. You have given me some vital information, as I already have sent soldiers out to spy on the surviving Sages. I need you to reinforce our outpost at a different part of the forest in preparation to invade Termina, so you came exactly on the right time." Ganondorf said.  
"Yes, My Lord. Your will shall be done." The Stalfos Commander said, before he left to perform his assigned orders.  
Ganondorf nodded at him.  
"Majora, I want you to aid our forces at the Fire Sanctuary and ensure they reach every spot possible to look for things that could be useful to us. It's time for us to enter the field, so to speak." He then said.  
"Alright, consider it done. What about you?" Majora asked.  
"I'll go and see how the situation at the Spirit Temple is, if everything is ready to plan our next move within Hyrule itself." Ganondorf replied as he got up.  
"Alright. How long do you think you'll be gone?"  
"I'll be there for a while, just to be certain that everything goes as planned."  
"Very well. I'll see you later then." Majora said before he left.

Garo Link, Garo Saria and Garo Zelda managed to make their way to the room where Link, in the future that almost was, discovered the Boss Key in the temple which was needed to gain access to the room where Koume and Kotake held the brainwashed Nabooru captive. There they saw an Iron Knuckle sitting on its throne, whom looked in conversation with other beings. Thankfully they weren't noticed at all, the conversation was apparently running deep. On their way however, when passing through the Sun Puzzle room, they could hear the unmistakable trotting of a Floormaster, while two Stalfos were standing guard. They also spotted an apparently docile Wallmaster, but they figured that it was waiting for any unsuspecting traveler to pounce onto. Thankfully their disguise as Garo Ninja helped wonders, which pretty much allowed them to explore the Temple on their own accord. The Stalfos and the Floormaster ignored them completely, obviously heeding to the alliance that they had and just let the Garo Ninja go where they wanted. This caused Link to do some thinking while watching things through his robe as they continued on. Once inside an empty corridor, the three stopped to take a breather, before entering the room they were in now… As they looked around, they saw the Iron Knuckle having a conversation with a Stalfos, while Torch Slugs crawled around calmly. The three decided to sit down within the shadows, listening in to the conversation, although it was mostly about the affairs going on within the Spirit Temple and how the forces of Ganondorf and Majora have been gathering. This in turn gave the three a bit of time for some reflection.  
"I still have difficulties with grasping this…" Garo Saria said.  
"Everyone of us has, Saria," Garo Link said, "I have to admit that I've stared death in the face more than I can count, but this is the actual first time that I actually did die."  
"Same with me," Garo Zelda said, "in fact, Ganondorf tried to crush Link and myself under the debris of his castle in the future that almost was. I find it strange that memories have carried over…"  
"Perhaps all that time traveling must have held influence on it too. I mean, I know for sure what has happened back then, but I never could have imagined that these memories also carried over to you…" Garo Link said.  
"Maybe it's because of the Sages in that future having taken a part of this. After all, their powers are reflected within the Master Sword and considering the events that preceded it all…" Garo Zelda said.  
"That's a good possibility." Garo Saria said.  
"So what are we going to do once we're brought back to life?" Garo Zelda said.  
"Personally I would first review the facts of where did it go wrong with us then and then make a different plan of action in order to still bring victory to us. We now know that Ganondorf and Majora both have become stronger, possibly having given each other a portion of their respective powers. Given the possibility that Ganondorf too may have received memories from his own future counterpart, I'd say that he actually knew that we were coming and thus acted accordingly to ensure his will would be absolute. It's only a speculation, but it would explain why he did what he did to me. I never expected you two, much less Ruto and Nabooru, to eventually share my fate, so to speak." Garo Link said.  
"Point taken." Garo Zelda said.  
"I just remembered something, wouldn't Red Fairies be able to help?" Garo Saria asked.  
"Normally yes, but considering the way we were being manhandled, coupled with the dark magic or energy we were being struck with and add the fact of how severe our injuries were at the end, I doubt they could be of help. Besides, we didn't have any Red Fairies with us and Impa told us that we were already dead by the time we were found. Our spirits did already leave our bodies back then…" Garo Link said.  
"Hmmm, looks like someone of higher power is needed then." Garo Zelda said, before the three sighed.  
Their conversation was fortunately not heard by the enemies on the far side of the room, but still…

Using their wisp forms to travel quicker, Darunia and Rauru arrived after several minutes within the Desert Colossus area, with the entrance to the Spirit Temple ahead.  
"Here we are." Rauru said.  
"I wonder why Impa decided to go here…" Darunia said.  
"There's only one way to find out for sure…" Rauru said as he moved to the entrance of the Spirit Temple, only for himself and Darunia to come under attack by Leevers, which prompted them to fight their way to the Temple itself.  
"Wait… I can feel a dark presence approaching the Temple!" Rauru said.  
"We should hide right away." Darunia said, before he and Rauru turned themselves back into wisps and went into the Great Fairy's Fountain entrance to hide for a moment and spy there.  
It was apparent that the two Sages weren't taking any risks now, especially if they wanted to prevent themselves from sharing the fate of Link and his closest friends after all… As they watched from their hiding spot, they could easily see dark clouds beginning to form slightly over the Temple and soon enough the dark presence they sensed appeared in front of the Temple, causing their eyes to go wide, although Darunia's was mostly out of fury as the one being whom they hated the most showed up in front of the Temple… the King of Evil, Ganondorf.  
"Why that no-good- how dares he show up here?!" Darunia hissed, his veins pulsing within his forehead and arms.  
"Stand down, Darunia. I know you want to pound his face in for what he did to Link and our fellow Sages, but at the current moment it would only make things worse as it is. I presume that he's here to check up on how far the Spirit Temple has progressed if he is working on reclaiming it…" Rauru said.  
"That sounds logical… but Impa is somewhere in here too!"  
"I know, but there is not much we can do but pray that Impa too has sensed him and is hiding somewhere to remain out of sight of him."  
Darunia grunted in utter frustration, yanking a piece of rock from the wall he stood on and munched on it, trying to calm his nerves through this. Rauru simply sighed, being the most calm of the two.  
"Trust me when I say that this isn't any easier for me than it is for you, Darunia, but the three of us definitely won't stand a chance against him now." He then said.  
"But we can't just let him get away with this, right?!" Darunia asked.  
"Of course not. Ganondorf may have won the battle, but all things considered, this is still a war. All we need is something that can help us turn the tide of the war in our favor, the resurrection of those whom Ganondorf killed being one of them. But we can't make any progress if we would go and confront him now." Rauru replied.  
"Hmmm, I see your point." Darunia said.  
"Think of it this way; Ganondorf believes Link, Zelda, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru are dead, but he hasn't seen the bodies yet. Therefore he is more likely to stay on edge and concentrate on his own political matters, while at the same time trying to find their bodies so he can still claim the very pieces of the Triforce that Link and Zelda have taken with them to their grave. And as long as we have their bodies with us, we have the advantage as we are, in a way, denying Ganondorf the things he's looking for." Rauru said.  
"That is as long as he doesn't catch us." Darunia said.  
"Exactly. So as long as we stay out of his sight, we have a chance to bring our friends back. All that matters now is Impa's safety so she can join us in our trip." Rauru said.

Speaking of Impa, she was still keeping a close watch on Garo Master Nabooru and Garo Ruto as they were underway to meet up with Garo Link, Garo Saria and Garo Zelda, having sensed Ganondorf approaching. So they decided to meet in the Sun and Mirror puzzle room to be out of sight as well as preventing problems, considering the animosity between the group and the Evil King himself. Once inside the room, the group conversed, while the Gerudo escort was terrified of all the creatures she saw around; the resident Gibdos she saw nearly gave her a heart attack.  
"So, what's the state of affairs? All we know is that the activity of Ganondorf and Majora's troops is concentrated around this temple, this we learned from a conversation between a Stalfos and an Iron Knuckle…" Garo Link said.  
"Well, first off, Ganondorf himself is on his way here, obviously to check on his troops." Impa said, instantly causing Garo Link and Garo Zelda to freeze up a bit in fear.  
"Second, it is now confirmed that their forces are gathering in unknown areas of this world in order to stage their attacks on Hyrule and Termina. One of which being a hidden sanctuary in the area between Snowhead and Ikana Canyon and another being located in a different part of the forest that connects Hyrule with Termina." Garo Master Nabooru said.  
"I see, but how are we going to tackle those?" Garo Saria asked.  
"We'll first concentrate on bringing the five of you back to life, seeing as Rauru has gone to find a way that can help us to bring you back with us in corporeal form instead of spiritual. Then we'll mess up their outpost in the forest area, since this might endanger the areas like the Deku Palace, the Kokiri Forest as well as any supply lines that are running to keep the surviving population of Hyrule and Termina fed which in turn run through the forest." Impa said.  
The Garo Ninja group nodded, understanding Impa's plan.  
"Now that we know about their plans, we should get out of here and meet with the others. We got where we came for here and it would be a bit too suspicious if we decide to wreck havoc here now." Garo Ruto said.  
"Ruto has a point, especially considering that Garo Ninjas usually pull a form of ritual suicide once they are defeated, thus in fact dying without leaving a corpse behind. That's the way of the Garo Ninja. Belief or disbelief rests with you." Garo Link said.  
"Wow, you certainly know a lot about them…" The Gerudo escort said.  
"Well, I had the Garo Mask in possession during my time in Termina, which in effect allowed me to communicate with the Garo Ninja spirits while being in Ikana Canyon. Thanks to them I got some helpful tips to solve the situation there and eventually solve the puzzles in the Ancient Castle of Ikana and through that obtain the things I needed to get into the Stone Tower." Garo Link said, to which the group nodded, confirming his story as Link told them about it before, with the Gerudo escort herself nodding in kind.  
"We should get going before Ganondorf finds us." Garo Zelda said, shivering.  
"Right," Impa said as she used her powers to extend her shadow to what looked like a dark mass, "hop into my shadow, I'll take you outside to the others."  
Nodding, the group, with Garo disguises and all, entered Impa's shadow, before it regressed back to normal size after which the shadow began to move to make its way out of the Spirit Temple, fortunately unnoticed by the enemy forces present inside, taking the newly-obtained information along with them. As long as the enemy was none the wiser, the group decided to look for a way to turn this into their advantage. But how that will turn out is something that they need to figure out…


	19. Chapter 19: Back to Termina

_Chapter 19: Back to Termina_

While Rauru and Darunia still waited within the Great Fairy's Fountain, Impa led herself and the others out of the Spirit Temple using her shadow, seeing as Ganondorf was inspecting his troops on the far side of the Temple. This in turn gave the group the opportunity to escape from the Spirit Temple unseen, primarily thanks to Impa's Shadow Medallion giving her the ability to manipulate shadows and overall darkness at will. Once they were out of the Temple and moving on the sand, the shadow moved towards the Great Fairy's Fountain in order to take a breather there. But as they arrived in the dark area of the fountain and Impa herself rose from the shadow, she was surprised to see Rauru and Darunia there as well.  
"Huh?! What are you doing here?" Impa asked.  
"We could ask you the same thing." Darunia said.  
"Well, I was here for a personal mission, mainly to gather intelligence on the movements of the enemy units."  
"I see. Wasn't this dangerous?" Rauru asked.  
"Normally yes, but I had help." Impa said, as she then showed her Gerudo Escort to the group.  
"Was she the only one?" Darunia asked.  
"Uh, not exactly." Impa said.  
It was then that the Garo Master and the four Garo Robes appeared in front of the group. Immediately Darunia was ready, but Rauru stopped him.  
"Wait, something is off about these Garo." He said.  
"Huh?!" Darunia asked.  
It was then that the Garo Ninjas disintegrated in sheets of green flames… revealing the spirits of Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru underneath them!  
"By the Goddesses! How is this possible?!" Darunia asked, blinking.  
"We're spirits lingering with regret, regret of being unable to have seen this coming or otherwise unable to save each other…" Link said.  
"Impa helped us out using the Song of Healing, which in turn gave us focus to help in gathering intelligence." Zelda said.  
"We've been using the bodies of the Garo Ninja to mingle among Ganondorf's troops undetected." Saria said.  
"And because of this move, we've learned the locations of two more outposts of Ganondorf and Majora's troops." Nabooru said.  
"It was weird to have inhabited a body other than our own though." Ruto said.  
"That I can understand. But before we go to either one of these outposts, we should head for a lost island within the Great Bay area." Rauru said.  
"What for?" Link asked.  
"Because I've been told by one of the Great Fairies that the Fairy Queen, known as Venus, resides there. Hopefully she can aid us in your resurrection."  
"Well then, I guess we should get going before the Evil King finds us?" Saria asked.  
"Hmm, I can try something that should cut off most of the trip. Zelda, can you please hand me the Ocarina of Time for a moment?" Link then said.  
"Sure." Zelda said, giving Link what appeared to be the Ocarina of Time.  
Link then began to play the Minuet of Forest on the Ocarina, a melody that instantly caught on with Saria as she began to play along on her own Ocarina. No sooner had they done this however, or the entire group was being encased in a green magic sphere which suddenly bolted off into the sky, before landing at the Sacred Forest Meadow, releasing the three sages, the Gerudo escort and the five Spirits.  
"Wow! We're in the forest like that?!" Ruto asked, looking around.  
"Yep," Link said, "apparently the magic of these songs are still in effect to this day, even after we managed to prevent the Future That Almost Was."  
"At least it saves us on backtracking, but now we need to reach Termina." Rauru said.  
"Right." Impa said as she hid the five spirits within her shadow once more, before three went on their way.  
"Impa, how come you don't have their Triforce pieces and medallions by doing this?" Rauru asked.  
"I actually gained those things the first time around, but I had to let them enter my body first before I could transfer them into my shadow, which in turn returned their Triforce Pieces and medallions to them." Impa said as they went further in the forest.

Ganondorf in the meantime found that his troops did well in regards of preparing themselves, but he couldn't help to think that something was amiss. Apparently a small number of Garo Ninjas vanished, although troops reported to have seen some of them wandering around in the Temple in relative peace. However, now that he was here, these Garo were missing altogether. He mused that because they are ninja, they apparently were underway to execute their mission already before he arrived. He just hoped to receive a report from them any time soon; he couldn't afford to get careless now, lest he wants to get his hands on the complete Triforce. He ordered his troops to keep a lookout on the forces in case the Garo Ninjas came back. If those ninjas have betrayed him… then there'd be hell to pay. He decided to play the waiting game on this account, hoping that he would get the right information soon enough…

Impa, Darunia, Rauru and their Gerudo escort were making swift progress through the forest, joined by Navi, Tatl and Tael. Epona the horse was in the meantime resting at Lon Lon Ranch in the stable, with Malon taking good care of it. Talon was this time putting some work in himself, much to the relief of Ingo, seeing that it lessened the workload for him and allowed him to have some time for himself once the work was done. It in turn made Ingo also quite nicer because of this help, although he remained weary at first as he remained well-aware of Talon's tendency to actually fall asleep whenever he was taking a rest. It did help that a few Cuccos were around at the ranch this time, so Ingo and Malon respectively could make one crow next to Talon's ear to wake him up. It was a little trick that Link had given to Malon, which Ingo caught on rather rapidly…  
"So, where exactly is this Lost Island you spoke of?" Impa then asked Rauru.  
"I was told that it's somewhere off the Great Bay Coast area, it can be reached by boat. Perhaps if we take one of those more advanced boats that Link told us about, we should be able to reach it at a fair speed. He said the Fisherman could be of help, seeing as how the Gerudo Pirates are more secluded/isolated and already are in trouble themselves, so we should avoid them wherever we can." Rauru said.  
"Point taken." Impa said as she moved along.  
"Where did you come across the spirits of our friends?" Darunia then asked.  
"After I ran from the Ice Cave into a clearing, since I still had trouble coping with what had happened, I sat down on a rock near a small running brook of water and just cried there for some time. It was then that I eventually heard someone calling my name and when I looked to the direction of who called me, I saw Zelda's spirit right there. It turned out that the regrets those five had couldn't make them pass on to the next life, so I tried to ease their spirits by playing the Song of Healing, which did bring them relief to a major degree as you know." Impa said.  
"Yes, they did mention that part." Darunia said.  
"But knowing that you wanted to resurrect them, I told them they could enter my body, through which I used my Shadow powers to hide the group inside my own shadow. This in turn would keep their spirits safe from immediate danger, even though we did exploit it to infiltrate the Spirit Temple after I consulted one of my fellow Sheikah from the past." Impa said.  
"I see," Rauru said before turning to the Gerudo, "and what is your story, young lady?"  
"I was assigned by my commander Aveil to escort Lady Impa to the Spirit Temple. Suffice it to say, the Gerudo were no better off than any of your races." The Gerudo said.  
"Oh? What makes you say that? And I don't think we know your name either…" Darunia said.  
"Oh, pardon me. I was so focused on my task that I didn't introduce myself. My name is Leia." The Gerudo said.  
"Pleased to meet you." Impa said, smiling.  
"As for what happened to the Gerudo, it appears that our race has become divided in two camps." Leia then said.  
"Two camps?" Rauru said.  
"Yes. On one side, there's the Gerudo whom have joined the Hyrulean Army against the forces of Evil and are through this on your side. Both my commander Aveil and myself, are part of that camp and have taken refuge in the Gerudo Fortress in the Gerudo Valley here in Hyrule." Leia said.  
"I see. And who's the other camp?" Darunia asked.  
"Those are the Gerudo whom have resided in their own fortress at the Great Bay area. They have once again been coaxed in the promise of finding expensive treasure and have openly and willingly joined the side of Ganondorf and Majora, or were otherwise brainwashed in doing so, which in effect ignited the Gerudo Civil War." Leia said.  
"Oh dear…" Impa said, shivering.  
"How's the war progressing then?" Darunia asked, believing that Leia somehow knew more.  
"The war's pretty much a stalemate; both sides have suffered losses and taken Gerudo of the other side whom survived the attacks prisoner. However, the Gerudo Pirates as the ones in Great Bay call themselves are also enacting on things like brainwashing in order to bolster their numbers; they suffered most of the losses due to the complexity of our fortress here in Hyrule. I learned later that, while the Pirates were in fact attacked by the forces of Evil themselves, most of the pirates there willingly joined due to being coaxed into gaining treasure, while other pirates simply refused. Those pirates eventually fled, or were either killed or capture during their escape. On our turn though, we managed to convince some of the pirates we captured that all Ganondorf and Majora wanted was to control the world and make it into their image, thus leaving the treasure out of the question or otherwise having to do things that go against their policies and laws they normally abide by, so they switched sides and joined us instead." Leia said.  
"I see. So it's Gerudo versus Gerudo in this as well. Why have you decided to join us in this?" Rauru said.  
"My elder sister Reimu was one of the Gerudo whom was captured during the staged attack on the fortress. I believe that she's been taken to the fortress in the Great Bay, so I wanted to know if she's still alive." Leia said.  
"Even if there's a chance of her being brainwashed?" Impa asked.  
"Yes, as long as there's a sign of life of her…"  
Impa could notice that Leia was either loyal and/or looking up to her sister if she's that worried about her. Given the state the Gerudo tribe as a whole was in now, this would make sense. Then again, not much of the Gerudo was known up to this point other than that they were all-female thieves with only one male being born once in the hundred years, as well as the occasional Gerudo roaming around Hyrule Castle Town to search for a boyfriend.

The Stalfos Commander in the meantime managed to assemble a new force of Stalfos, this time also having several Stalchildren in his ranks as they marched through the forest towards their outpost there. He was told to oversee the construction of their forts there and intended to assign the Stalfos and Stalchildren he had with him to guard the place with him as he went to oversee the area itself by settling in there for some time before moving on according to his orders. He wouldn't let his masters down, that was for certain and he would see to it that their will would be executed. Being one of the higher ranked soldiers among the forces of Evil, he had a decent amount of influence over his troops and commanded them where needed while his masters had their attention elsewhere. It was as if the Forces of Evil had taken on a military hierarchy similar to the regular army, which in effect allowed the easier deployment of troops for when the time of invasion would come. Currently the forces were being assembled and prepared, all for the cause of world conquest.

It took the group several hours, but eventually they managed to reach Termina itself, arriving within the waterworks area that led towards Clock Town.  
"Well, here we are." Darunia said.  
"Hmmm, it feels strange to be in such a different land." Leia said.  
"It is, but I'm certain we will be guided around fairly soon." Impa said as they entered the town.  
Upon entering the town, they saw the people going about on their daily routine of life. It seemed suddenly incredible to them now that everyone spent their day as if it was just like any other: working, eating and sleeping… it all seemed so safe and tranquil…  
"So, where do we go from here?" Darunia asked.  
"Link told us that Clock Town lies directly in the center of Termina. Following the compass directions, there is Snowhead to the North, Ikana Canyon to the East, the Southern Swamp to the South, Milk Road to the South-West and the Great Bay Coast to the West of town." Rauru said, recalling the meeting he had with the other sages and Link himself where the young hero told them about his adventures in Termina.  
"So it's up to the west then." Impa said.  
"Wait, now that we're here in town, do you mind if I get some supplies for underway? You'll never know what we'll come across." Leia then said, wanting to help.  
"Do you have the money with you?" Impa asked.  
"I have about 200 Rupees with me, so I can get us some additional ammunition for sure." Leia said.  
"Hm. It is definitely not going to be an easy mission, so having some extra supplies won't hurt." Rauru said, nodding as the group went to West Clock Town.

Navi, Tatl and Tael followed the group wherever they went, with Navi becoming more anxious with the hour. Fortunately, Tatl and Tael kept her at bay, but it was clear that Navi could hardly wait for the resurrection to take place. Hopefully she could still see Link again and tell him what she wanted to tell him. Navi then suddenly sneezed, startling Tatl whom was flying in front of her.  
"Bless you." She said to Navi.  
"Thanks. Maybe I should have stayed not so long in the Ice Cave." Navi replied.  
"You were just a bit too upset to think about it." Tael said.  
"True." Navi said, sighing as she continued on with the other two.  
The children who were part of the Bombers' Secret Society of Justice spotted Tael and Tatl in the area though and went to greet them.  
"Hey, Tatl and Tael! What brings you here again?" The lead child named Jim asked.  
"Oh, hey Jim. We're on a long trip and made a stop here to get some supplies." Tatl replied.  
"Oh? What happened?" Jim asked.  
"It's a long story. To keep it short, two very powerful evil beings have resurfaced and we're basically on a trip to find a proper way to stop them; they're currently too powerful for us to be taken down in the first try, so we're looking for a way to counteract what makes them strong."  
"I see. It appears things haven't been peaceful for long then?"  
"No, I guess not."  
"Well, if you need any help, just don't be afraid to contact us. We like to help people out and make them as happy as we can." Jim then said.  
"I'll keep that in mind for sure. See you around." Tatl said, before moving after Tael.  
"Later, Tatl." Jim said, waving her off.

Using the directions that Link told them about, the group managed to buy some additional arrows, Deku Nuts and bombs, while Darunia blinked at seeing a Goron in the Bomb Shop. After some chatting, Darunia purchased a Powder Keg from the Goron salesman, knowing it could come in handy sometime. With their additional equipment on hand, the group moved out of West Clock Town, heading straight for the Great Bay area. A green Leever was approaching the group to strike them, but Darunia just smashed it back into the ground without even looking.  
"Those Leevers are such a pest." Impa said.  
"You said it." Leia replied.  
Upon entering the Great Bay Coast area, the group could see the Marine Research Laboratory, the building which took care of the Zora Eggs directly ahead, coupled with the vast waters of the Great Bay Ocean. To their left, the group could see two buildings, one being the Fisherman's hut, the other was the Oceanside Spider House. They decided to meet with the Fisherman first, who was present in his hut.  
"Huh? Oh, hello. It's been a while since I had a visitor or two. What can I do for you?" The fisherman asked, seeing the group approaching.  
"We'd like to rent one of your boats, please." Impa said.  
"What for? Are you going to fish?"  
"No, we're on a trip to the Lost Island, which should be somewhere around here." Darunia said.  
"The Lost Island you say? Hmmm, that is a tough one. Not many people know about its existence until recently; during one fishing trip I saw these strange airships flying over the area. One portion of it was headed for the Gerudo Pirates' Fortress, the other went further down the Ocean towards an island I could barely see. I think that's the one you're talking about." He said.  
"Why is it called the Lost Island anyway?" Leia asked.  
"Its location makes it impossible to see it directly from the coast. Heck, even I didn't know of its existence until a couple of days ago when I went fishing; I saw the island in the ocean at about the same distance as how far the Great Bay Temple is away from the Zora Cape." The fisherman said.  
"I see. That explains its name then, coupled with it being a perfect place to plan attacks from if the enemy knows about it, but we don't." Impa said.  
"And I take it you have reasons to go there?" The fisherman asked.  
"Of course, but these are personal ones." Darunia said.  
"I understand."  
"So, how much for the boat?" Rauru then asked.  
"Never mind the price; I'll take you to it myself. I know exactly where it is." The fisherman said as he got his gear out, moving towards his boat.  
The group followed the fisherman as he prepared his boat, letting the group climb on it once it was well enough in the water. Once everyone was in, the fisherman got in himself and started its engine, making it move over the water on a decently fast speed.  
"What is this? I have never seen one of these before." Leia said.  
"It's a motorboat, one of the greatest inventions here in Termina. It allows us to cross the seas and oceans and all at a far quicker time than when we're using rowing boats. It's been of great help out here." The Fisherman said.  
"That I can tell, the ocean is crossed a lot quicker." Impa said, before the Fisherman took a turn to the once on the open sea.

At the same moment, they were being watched by a group of people from the Pirates' Fortress, using a telescope to look at the boat that contained the fisherman and the passengers. The woman looking through the telescope gasped.  
"What are you doing out there?" A voice called out to her.  
"Ma'am, I've just detected the fisherman with passengers on a boat passing by our territory. They're headed for the Lost Island!" She said.  
"What?"  
"Come here and see for yourself!"  
"Alright. Geez, I swear, if you pull something like this on me again, I'll-"  
"I'm not joking, ma'am." The Gerudo Pirate said as another Gerudo came up on the platform.  
"Alright, step aside and let me have a look." The second Gerudo Pirate said as she peeked through the telescope, indeed spotting the boat with the group headed for the Lost Island.  
"Are you frigging kidding me?! They're headed right for a place where our forces are trying to uncover its secrets and treasure! Send a warning out to intercept them at once and make a group of Pirates ready while you're at it; we're disembarking for the same island right away!" The second Gerudo Pirate said.  
"Yes ma'am!" The first Pirate said, saluting before moving off to execute her orders.

Impa turned to the left, almost looking behind the boat. She could see in the very distance a large building, which was being surrounded by a very powerful cyclone of water.  
"What's with that building in the distance there?" Impa asked.  
"That one right to our left with the cyclone surrounding it?" The fisherman asked.  
"Yes."  
"That's the Great Bay Temple, although it is nothing like the temples that you may know where deities or anything of the like are being worshipped or something."  
"How so?"  
"The Great Bay Temple, according to what I've heard from the folks that come around here, is actually one big factory, with churning gears, rooms and passages illuminated by neon lights and the previously cited water-based elevators and valves. Apparently whoever made the whole damn thing is using the water as some kind of power source; the motion of the water within the temple just keeps things flowing and moving inside."  
"Hmmm, that is really interesting." Impa said.  
"Yeah, but crossing it is a different story though; even though it was liberated from a curse which on its turn caused the water here to get warmer and murky as a result, the Temple by itself remains very complex. In fact, its position from our coast effectively makes it already nigh-impossible to even enter the thing to see what's moving in there."  
"Wow, that explains why not many people know about it."  
"Indeed. Look, your destination is just ahead." The Fisherman then said.  
As the group looked forward, they could see in the distance an island coming in view, with some high cliffs and a beach area that came into view.  
"I'll stop at the pier so you can disembark. I'll stick around here for a while too in case you want to go back to Great Bay." The fisherman said as they approached it.  
"Thank you." Impa said.  
"No problem at all."


	20. Chapter 20: The Lost Island

_Chapter 20: The Lost Island_

The fisherman guided his boat alongside the pier before coming to a full stop, which allowed Impa, Darunia, Rauru and Leia to disembark from the boat. Navi, Tatl and Tael were floating above the first aforementioned three, giving the Sages a Fairy Companion in a way.  
"Well, here we are at the Lost Island. Rumors say that a sanctuary lies hidden within this area, but no one has been able to enter it so far." The fisherman said.  
"Alright then. How long will you stick around?" Impa then asked.  
"Look, trust me when I say that I'll be waiting for you here. Unless you have the ability to fly or are powerful swimmers, you can only reach this area by boat. I'll probably be moving off to divert attention away, but I'll be close around." The Fisherman said.  
"Very well then. Just be careful on your journey." Darunia said.  
"I will, you be careful as well."  
"Thanks for the heads up." Rauru said, before the fisherman left and the group walked over the pier towards the beach.  
"So here is where you said the Queen of the Fairies resides?" Impa asked Rauru.  
"Yes. If what the fisherman said about such a sanctuary is true, then I wouldn't be surprised if she would actually be inside the sanctuary herself." The Light Sage replied as they moved on the beach area, hearing the resident seagulls flying over and the water crashing against the shore.  
"Point taken." Impa replied as they now moved on the beach.  
No sooner had they ventured on the beach itself when a small group of Lizalfos and Dinolfos spotted them and went to attack them.  
"Oh, look! We got ourselves a welcoming committee." Darunia said, cracking his knuckles.  
Leia brought out her own weapon, which was a glaive, getting ready to engage a Lizalfos herself, before charging at one as the others went on the offensive as well. Rauru decimated the Dinolfos with a Light Based spell that summoned a flash of light from underneath the creature, causing it to writhe in agony in a way similar to when someone was struck by a Light Arrow or when hit by light reflected off the Mirror Shield. Darunia simply grabbed two of the present Lizalfos and bashed their heads together, cracking their skulls in the process which killed them instantly. Impa used her daggers to slice a Dinolfos to bits, while Leia impaled one other Lizalfos on her glaive before tossing it into the ocean to drown. After the first batch of Dinolfos and Lizalfos were dealt with, the group proceeded on by moving up a path towards a small cavern, only to have their path blocked by an Eyegore.  
"What the-?! How do we beat this guy?!" Leia asked.  
It was then that Link's spirit popped up.  
"Its eye is its weakness. Use a ranged weapon like arrows or Deku Seeds to strike the eye when it colors yellow to damage it." He said.  
"Right." Impa said, nodding while Leia was given a bow and some arrows from Rauru, allowing Leia to shoot the Eyegore as advised.  
After using four arrows, the Eyegore collapsed and explodes into nothingness, only for the group itself to be faced with a Club Moblin at the far side of the cavern. Taking a few arrows more, Leia shot the Club Moblin from a distance, which took three arrows to be taken out, disintegrating in sheets of blue flame. Once the Club Moblin was gone, the group could proceed in the cavern, walking over a bridge that spanned over a body of water.  
"Hey, I think I'm seeing some kind of water cavern down here." Leia said.  
"Hmmm, should we check it out?" Impa asked.  
"You can go on ahead if you want, we'll wait here." Darunia said.  
"Are you sure?" Impa asked.  
"Look, we Gorons aren't exactly the best of swimmers; our rock-like bodies would be stuck at the bottom of a lake if we jumped in. We can walk through shallow water bodies with no problems at all, but bigger or deeper water bodies will form a problem to us." Darunia said.  
"Ah, I understand." Impa said, nodding as she and Leia dove in the water, diving down into the cavern.  
"Just don't drown yourselves." Rauru warned.

Impa and Leia swam swiftly through the surprisingly fresh and clean water, eventually resurfacing in what appeared to be a small room with the entrance in its center. There they saw a few treasure chests that were obviously been placed there somehow by its previous occupants. Sitting nearby, vast asleep, was a single Gerudo whom looked worse for wear, considering her tattered and torn outfit. Leia wanted to be sneaky and try to find what the chests contained, but Impa stopped her, pointing to the jewel on the Gerudo's forehead.  
"What's the matter?" Leia whispered.  
"Take a look at that jewel…" Impa whispered back.  
Leia did so, looking closely at it without alerting the Gerudo.  
"That's weird; its color seems off… something's fishy; normally all Gerudo have the same color in their jewelry." She said.  
"Looks like someone's been messing around with the Gerudo as you said." Impa said, just as the sleeping Gerudo stirred, waking up.  
"Huh?! What the-?! Hey! How did you two get here?!" The Gerudo asked, instantly grabbing her weapon, which was a glaive similar to Leia's.  
"Simple, we swam through here." Impa casually replied.  
The Gerudo growled.  
"Lord Ganondorf won't be pleased when he finds out that you have been trying to steal the treasure here…" She said, inadvertently showing something off within her eyes as she faced the two, which was something both Leia and Impa noticed.  
"You call that megalomaniac, homicidal brute your 'Lord'? Give me a break; you should know that we don't steal from the helpless, right? Or have you fallen under his spell to make you do things against your will, like attacking your own comrades?" Leia then said.  
"Enemies of the great Ganondorf are enemies of mine! Now surrender before I impale you on my glaive like a piece of meat on a spit!"  
"Very well then, you leave me no other choice." Leia said as she grabbed her own glaive, ready to retaliate.  
"Don't make this any harder for you as it is." The Gerudo then said, getting in a stance.  
"Hmph. You're one to talk, woman. You definitely are not yourself." Leia replied, just as she blocked an incoming strike from her opponent.  
"Okay, that's it! HAVE AT YOU!" The Gerudo replied, moving in to strike again.  
"Impa, get out of here and go back to the others! I'll deal with this traitor myself!" Leia said.  
"Right, just be careful!" Impa said.  
"I'll be fine, just go!"  
Impa then dove in the water, swimming back to Darunia and Rauru who were waiting for her, while Leia got locked in a fight with the ferocity of a mortal combat against her fellow kin.

Rauru and Darunia frowned as they saw Impa resurfacing alone, with Navi flying towards Impa.  
"Where's Leia?" Darunia asked.  
"She's locked in combat with a fellow Gerudo, trying to keep her occupied to prevent her from sounding the alarm. It appears we may be dealing with brainwashed Gerudo out here, so we should at least help to break the spell casted on them." Impa said.  
"And how do we find out if that is the case?"  
"The color of their jewels on the forehead is different from the Gerudo we know. Perhaps Nabooru can help to identify them from those whom are actively hostile." Impa said.  
"Alright, let's continue on then." Rauru said, moving up a ladder he saw against the wall, which led to the other side of the island, being part of a cliffside with some constructed bridges to connect the pathways as well as two structures that served as either a home, lookout post or even a training facility. Despite their crude and old-fashioned appearance, being constructed out of mostly wood, these structures looked surprisingly very stable, tough and very durable. Further up ahead, set inside the rocky pathway, was a door that was more stone-like in appearance and didn't have the usual handles to open them. In fact, it had more the characteristics of a gateway that required a switch to open. However, there was no switch around to open the gate right away. For the rest it seemed like a dead end, although the only things that stood out were two, pyramid-shaped pedestals that looked dormant and docile, as if someone just carved them out of the stone ground. A Lizalfos was standing on guard, but with its back to the group, allowing Impa to sneak up behind the reptilian guard and silently snapped its neck before dumping the corpse over the side of the cliff, making it land in the water.  
"That's one pest less." Impa said, snorting at the sinking corpse.  
Darunia smirked at this.  
"The silent kill… a more subtle approach, but very effective." He said.  
Impa chuckled as the group moved on to the larger area of the cliff, right in front of the door.  
"This thing looks sealed shut." Impa said, inspecting the door.  
"And it won't budge either. Looks like some tight security is in place here." Darunia said.  
"HALT! Who goes there?!" A voice then said behind them.  
As the three turned around, they saw a small group of Gerudo warriors, armed with glaives, although two wielded twin scimitar swords, stood there, being alarmed.  
"It takes quite some skill to come snooping around here so silently. I don't know whether you are foolish, brave, bold or simply having a death wish." A female voice then said, just as a Gerudo approached them, also armed with twin scimitar swords, approaching them.  
Impa judged her to be in command, given the different style of clothing and the different style of how her red hair was set in a tail with the jewelry. Speaking of which…  
"Well, this is unexpected," Impa said, "I wouldn't know if you are foolish yourself to follow someone whom doesn't give a shit about anything except for power."  
"What?! You dare to insult the Great Ganondorf and Majora?" The commander said, going in a fighting stance, although it appeared a bit shaky.  
"Yes, I dare, since you obviously are being deceived by them. Or he must be playing mind games." Impa said, as if she was trying to buy time.  
The commander growled.  
"That is one mistake you won't live to regret!" She said.  
"Oh really?" Another voice said, just as a spirit made itself known. It was Nabooru!  
Darunia chuckled at this, having noticed Impa's shadow extending forward from the corner of his eye, but remained fixated on the Gerudo to keep the element of surprise in.  
"What the-?! Who are you?" The commander asked the spirit form of Nabooru.  
"I'm disappointed in you for forgetting who I am. I am the exalted Nabooru, I hail from the Gerudo Fortress in the Haunted Wasteland and Gerudo Valley in Hyrule!" Nabooru said.  
Immediately the group of Gerudo bowed, which showed that they did recognize her.  
"At least some of you are wise enough to bow where it is required…" Nabooru commented.  
"But why are you here?" The commander asked.  
"We're not here for any treasure; this is a personal matter. It is also part of our mission to defeat Ganondorf once and for all!"  
"What?! You want to defeat Ganondorf?"  
"You heard me."  
"But I thought you were under his command as well!"  
"I was in the past, but I saw Ganondorf performing actions that goes against our policies, like stealing from the weak and killing innocent people. Heck, he isn't shy to harm even children just to get what he wants! He has become a megalomaniac fool whom won't allow anyone else to challenge his authority! Hah, we'll prove otherwise!"  
The commander then bowed her head.  
"Do you understand what I said?" Nabooru asked.  
"Yes, I do… and I know what I must do…" She replied.  
Nabooru frowned at the tone of this, apparently expecting the next answer.  
"I must make you see that NOBODY goes against the Great Ganondorf!" The commander then snarled, her blades ready.  
"Really? You're really willing to serve someone who doesn't give a shit about the well-being of others and only cares about power? Puh-lease; I know a forest kid who has more guts than that Ganondorf ever will have. But enough talk, have at you then!" Nabooru said, before she retracted into Impa's shadow, while Impa herself drew the Gilded blades that Nabooru herself used to wield before her death; Rauru collected the weapons while on his way to the Great Fairy back at the ruins of Hyrule Castle.

The battle raged on, with Darunia and Rauru having little trouble keeping the Gerudo Guards at bay, while the commander herself was having her own troubles with facing Impa, whom looked calm and focused, as if she was trying to figure something out with the commander, in particular eyeing her jewelry. However, despite the advantage in strength, they were still outnumbered. Just as Impa gained some distance from the commander, she saw one of the Gerudo Guards breaking formation and charging at her with the glaive pointed forward, while the commander watched with a smirk… only to have the charging Gerudo smacked aside by the pole side of another glaive, just as another Gerudo landed in the area… accompanied by Leia!  
"What the-?!" The commander asked, blinking at seeing one of her guards smacked aside by one of her own.  
Impa was confused at this too, until she spotted that the Gerudo who came with Leia was missing a piece of her head jewel, which in fact looked quite damaged.  
"You can help your friends, Impa; I'll deal with 'commander' Reimu myself." Leia then said.  
"What? How do you know my name?!" the commander then asked.  
"I know your name since I know you personally, Reimu." Leia then said.  
"And for what reason?"  
"Don't you remember? You're my sister!"  
"WHAT?!" The commander asked, blinking for a moment as she apparently felt memories entering her mind.  
However an unknown force seemed to try to block the memories, causing Reimu to grab her head and scream in pain, her jewel having an abnormal glow to it.  
"Just as I thought, you were brainwashed. And I'm going to help you get rid of it." Leia said.  
"Uh… Urrrrrggghhh, no! You will NOT defy the Great Ganondorf!" Reimu said, her blades ready.  
"Too bad I'm already doing so, sister. What are you going to do about it?"  
"I'LL KILL YOU!"  
"Then come at me, see if you have the guts to harm your own flesh and blood!" Leia said, her glaive poised to strike.  
"I'll make you regret this!" Reimu said, before charging at her sister.

With the help of Impa and the Gerudo Guard whom was apparently liberated by Leia, Rauru and Darunia turned the tides of the battle in their favor and subsequently freed the remaining Gerudo of the brain-washing spell by either busting, damaging or breaking the jewels on the Gerudo's foreheads, effectively freeing them from the spell that bound them to serve the forces of Evil by force. They were then witnessed to the battle between Reimu and Leia, whom both were fighting for their lives. While Reimu was superior in weaponry regarding her blades, Leia used her glaive expertly in combination with her agility, occasionally using the glaive to pole-vault over an incoming charge from Reimu to get some space in. This battle lasted for a good minute or two, before Leia charged in herself, pole-vaulting in the air before yanking the glaive from the ground, using the momentum to land on the blades of her sister as she made a stabbing motion, right before bringing the sharp end of the glaive down on her sister's head… cleaving its head jewel clean in two, but sparing the rest of her head. The instant the jewel was destroyed, Reimu dropped her blades and gripped her head as she howled in agony as the brainwashing effect was dispelled of her, collapsing to the ground, before getting on her knees, looking around in a confused way.  
"Huh?! What happened?! Where am I?" Reimu asked, right before she saw someone crouching down in front of her.  
"Sister…" that person said, making Reimu look up, looking straight in the eyes of her sister Leia.  
"L… Leia… what have I been doing all this time?" She asked, just before Leia hugged her sister.  
Reimu returned the hug.  
"You're free sister. You've been living in a nightmare… it's over… I woke you up…" Leia said, sobbing.  
Reimu smiled at this, hugging her sister close, causing the others to smile and make up with the others, apologizing for their actions to Impa, Rauru and Darunia.

Later on, the group sat together outside by one of the campfires that the Gerudo had set up, each of them calm and yet also very much relieved.  
"So, what are you doing all the way here?" Reimu then asked Impa as the group rested up from the battle.  
"We're on a mission to resurrect five people whom Ganondorf and Majora killed not too long ago; Nabooru's one of them." Impa said.  
"What? Ganondorf killed Nabooru? What for?"  
"Nabooru openly rebelled against Ganondorf in regards to the latter's abhorrent actions in his lust for power, wanting to thwart his plans herself. We tried to stop them, but Ganondorf's alliance with Majora apparently made him much stronger than we expected, resulting in the deaths of five of us, Nabooru included."  
"I see."  
"We were told that there is a sanctuary hidden behind this door, which could lead to the person we believe can help us."  
"Hmmm, there is indeed something behind this door, but what it is precise is also unknown to us; despite our efforts so far, we've been unable to figure out how to open this damn thing. It wouldn't budge by any means." Reimu then said.  
"Obviously something else is needed to open the door then." Leia said.  
"Indeed, but we're stumped by what it could be."  
"Is there anything of interest here?" Impa then asked.  
"Well, either one of the buildings here has one sphere-like object inside, one in silver and one in gold. We assumed these to be something of great value, so we kept them in the buildings." Reimu said.  
"I see. Do you mind if we take a look at them?" Impa asked.  
"Sure, we'll lead you to the one in the building to the left from that giant door." Reimu said, getting up.  
Impa followed, as did Darunia and Rauru, being curious to see them as well. Leia was in the meantime chatting with the other Gerudo, bringing them up to speed of what has happened in Hyrule and what Impa told her in short. Needless to say, the Gerudo were shocked and swore fealty to Nabooru, seeing her as the new leader who would hopefully unite the Gerudo tribes and lead them to a new era of prosperity, provided the forces of Evil could be defeated of course. But regardless of the situation, Leia smiled as the liberation of the mind control/brainwashing led to bolstering their numbers. She hoped it would help in rebuilding the army that was needed to fend off Ganondorf and Majora's troops and hopefully help in defeating the two evil beings once and for all. Of course it wouldn't be easy, but as long as they could exert any effort in helping them, it would be enough. This way they would prove that the Gerudo were capable of fighting for an honorable cause, despite having the notorious reputation as pirates and thieves.

Upon entering the building, Reimu led the others to the sphere that they held in the building. It wasn't very far away, seeing as the building in general was small and was used as a Lookout post for over the sea, while also having some accommodation areas available so the resident Gerudo troops could rest up from their duties. They were led in a chamber that contained the sphere, which was indeed a solid object that was gold in color and seemed to have a glowing core within that gave it its shiny surface.  
"This is it?" Impa asked.  
"Yep, that's the thing. We honestly have no idea what it is or what it does." Reimu said.  
"What the heck?!" Link's voice then said as his and Zelda's spirits appeared from Impa's Shadow.  
"What's the matter?" Impa asked.  
"These are almost the same spheres that Link and I came across in that horrid dream world Majora sent us in after Sakon's diversion knocked the both of us out." Zelda said.  
"Really? What did you have to do then?" Reimu asked.  
"We had to place these on top of some kind of pyramid-shaped pedestal of some kind that eventually opened a door ahead for us." Link said.  
"Hmmm, you reckon that these could be for the same purpose as what you experienced then?" Impa asked.  
"Come to think of it, there are some pyramid-shaped stones outside… perhaps those spheres have to be put on there?" Reimu asked.  
"It's worth a try." Impa said, nodding as Darunia carefully picked the sphere up to carry it outside.  
"I'll have my guards go get the other one." Reimu said as she went outside to give the orders.  
The spirits of Link and Zelda moved along this time, before hiding back in Impa's shadow with the others. Darunia carried the sphere outside and put it on one of the pedestals, which immediately began to react to it and connected with the sphere, causing the pyramid to glow and sink a bit into the ground.  
"I'll be darned; it actually fits." Darunia said.  
Leia and Reimu both blinked at this, as did Impa.  
"Looks like Link and Zelda were right." The latter said, flabbergasted while the guards came back after a minute, carrying the other sphere together.  
"Where do you want us to put it, ma'am?" One of the guards asked Reimu.  
"Put it on the other pyramid-shaped pedestal carefully." She said, after which the guards moved on to do as instructed.  
Once it was done, the pedestal lowered itself into the ground like the other one, also followed by the glow and the connection it made to the sphere. Mere seconds later, a creaking sound could be heard… right before the giant door began to open in a Y-shaped pattern, revealing a cavern going inside.  
"By the Goddesses!" Reimu said.  
"The doorway is open?!" One of the guards said, blinking as she did a double-take.  
"Well then, let's keep going then." Impa said.  
Just then, Leia howled in agony as she was impaled on a glaive through her right shoulder as it went through her.  
"STOP THEM! A distant voice said, obviously female.  
"More Gerudo!?" Darunia asked.  
"They're here to stop us!" Rauru said.  
"Hold them for as long as you can, my guards! Be sure to strike their jewels if you get the chance! I'll take our guests and my sister into the opening here!" Reimu then said.  
The Gerudo under Reimu's command saluted and instantly went to take defensive positions while the three Sages, followed by Reimu and the injured Leia, went inside the cavern that was opened up, before they arrived at what appeared to look like a different room as it had different looking tiles on the floor, walls and ceiling. Further ahead was an opening that looked dark as it obviously was enough to lead to somewhere…  
"Looks like we need to go through here." Impa said as she was ready to enter the dark area.  
"Just be careful." Darunia said as the group proceeded through the opening, with Reimu praying that her guards could hold them off for as long as they could.


	21. Chapter 21: The Resurrection

_Chapter 21: The Resurrection_

After walking through the dark opening, the group found themselves being taken to a different place altogether. The area looked like a big slope with fences on the side, but had here and there openings as if the path was broken. Further up ahead was a set of giant doors that looked closed. The walls around them had stars around them, as if they were taken into a completely different realm!  
"Where are we?" Impa asked.  
"I don't know, but it looks like we have no other choice but to move forward; we can't go back." Reimu said.  
"I never knew Termina had such technology hidden here. Then again, they are apparently more advanced than Hyrule…" Rauru said as the group moved forward, only for them to slide on the icy path.  
"Hang on, this is going to be a tough ride!" Darunia said as the group slid onwards over the path towards the giant doors which began to open…

At the same time, Reimu's guards were locked in fierce combat with the attacking Gerudo, with neither side gaining the advantage so far as both sides suffered injuries, but so far no losses… It went brutal however as neither side gave each other quarter, trying to find an opening within the respective opponents, as if it was a total civil war among the Gerudo, with one side trying to get their fellows to snap out of it, while the other side wanting to end the traitors to Ganondorf and Majora's rule. With both sides knowing of each other's skills and capabilities, it appeared this battle was going to last for some time until either side would be too tired to continue…

Sliding over the paths carefully, with Reimu supporting her sister Leia so the glaive that impaled her wouldn't get stuck or cause other problems, the remaining Sages slid their way over the path, eventually sliding through an ice tunnel and arriving at a safe platform where they could stand on.  
"What is that up ahead?" Darunia asked.  
"It looks like a celestial home or something… I can't tell; the waterfall is blocking the view up ahead." Rauru said.  
"Who is it, that dares disturb the tranquility of this place?" A voice then addressed the group.  
As the group looked ahead, they saw that a creature had appeared, which appeared to be floating. Another thing was that it had three distinctive glowing eyes and pure white armor and robes laced with black and gold.  
"Excuse me, sir. My name is Impa and these are my friends and companions Rauru, Darunia, Reimu, Leia and the fairies Navi, Tatl and Tael." Impa said, trying to reason.  
"Those names mean nothing to me. What do you want?!" The creature asked.  
"Pardon us for the intrusion, but we're here to see to see the Fairy Queen Venus in order to request the resurrection of our friends. They are the only hope to aid us to save this world from impending doom from the Evil King Ganondorf and his accomplice known as Majora." Rauru said.  
"How am I to know that you're not simply thieves or otherwise try to harm the Honorable Queen? Only your strength and bravery can convince me. Prepare to fight!" It said, getting ready.  
Grabbing the bows belonging to Link and Zelda, Impa gave the Link's Bow to Reimu while she kept Zelda's for now, before proceeding to hop on the floating platforms in order to get close to the guardian, whom attacked them by firing sword sparks at them, which they avoided with the best of their abilities. Rauru was supporting Leia, who looked worse for wear, but still carried the glaive which impaled her on the shoulder; removing it now would only make it worse as it currently somehow kept her from bleeding out.

Ganondorf was getting a bit agitated. He had heard something about a group of Garo being missing from the Spirit Temple, but the inquiry to the Garo leaders was no success; they confirmed that the group had indeed arrived at the Spirit Temple itself without incidents and found it also weird that this group of five went missing as if they weren't there. With the Garo Leaders being innocent as these Garo didn't report back to them either, Ganondorf was pacing a bit as he stood on the platform where, in the Future That Almost Was, Link fought and defeated Twinrova, being the sorceress sisters Koume and Kotake, whom in this time period had settled in Termina in peace. There was definitely something that didn't add up to this, but he couldn't put his finger on what was eating at him right now. It was then that another Garo appeared before him.  
"Master." It said, greeting him.  
"Report." Ganondorf said.  
"We've had enemy movement headed for the Lost Island. The two dark individuals you sent are in hot pursuit with their own escort force as per your orders."  
"What?! They are headed all the way there?"  
"Yes, master. They've been taken there by boat."  
"Hmmm, this is most inconvenient. But how have they known about our troops stationed there?" Ganondorf asked.  
"I doubt they know anything about the troops, master; they seem to have a different motive for heading there." The Garo said.  
"How are you so sure?"  
"I overheard the two dark people talking to each other about this while spying on them as they went underway through the forest."  
This made Ganondorf think.  
"Keep a close watch on the area pronto; I want to know their every movements on the double! You are dismissed." He said.  
"Yes, Master." The Garo said, before vanishing.

Majora was in the meantime overseeing the progress of the construction of the largest outpost, being inside a sanctuary which consisted mostly out of stone, rock and lava. Using its mask, it went to work on making an area underground, to make it real hot for the group. Oh, how he would love to see the so-called 'Hero of Time' and the sages writhe in torment and agony as the lava melts the flesh off their bones or burns them to cinders, as long as their rule remains unopposed, he would be happy. Perhaps it would help him to achieve his own goals after all, now that he had his mask back and could practically do as he pleased. He cackled at the mere thought of ruling the world and do whatever he pleased with the population once it was certain that their rule would remain unopposed.

Impa and Reimu both swiftly hopped over the floating platforms, pelting the creature with arrows, although most didn't do actual damage, merely forcing him back, while at the same time avoiding his icicles and sword sparks he threw at the group. Even the Fire Arrows proved not effective, although they did manage to force it back. It was then that Impa caught the sight of a stalactite hanging over the ceiling at the building at the far side of the area they were in. Taking a shot, Impa fired a Fire Arrow at the stalactite, scoring a direct hit which broke the stalactite from its place and striking the creature on its head, which proceeded to give a roar of pain as apparently it did significant damage to it, causing the creature to collapse. Impa and Reimu were ready as the creature got up… only to see it holding a hand up.  
"Wait, sheathe your weapons, it is my loss." The creature said.  
Wary, but deciding to hear him out anyway, Reimu and Impa went to rejoin Rauru, Darunia and Leia on the area with a small body of water at the bottom ahead.  
"Alright, who are you?" Impa asked.  
"I am the Guardian to her Highness Queen Venus. I've been assigned to protect her while she resides in here. Only those worthy enough can come to see her. With your ability to defeat me and your apparent pure intentions have convinced me that you may be worthy of seeing her." The creature said.  
"Thank you." Impa said.  
"I shall lead you to her." The guardian then said, leading the group on as bridges appeared to safely guide the group to the chamber where Venus, the Queen of the Fairies, resided.

Upon arriving in the chamber, they approached a magnificent pool of the purest water they had seen in their lives.  
"My Queen, these brave warriors have defeated me in combat and request an audience with you." The Guardian said.  
Seconds later, something happened at the pool. Light began to shimmer from it and small light particles floated up to form the shape of a female humanoid, which then began to gain more form as the body appeared. What appeared in front of the group was a tall, extraordinarily beautiful woman wearing a green dress and bearing majestic, green-white colored, angelic wings on her back. This was the Fairy Queen, Venus. Upon seeing her appear, Impa, Darunia, Rauru, Reimu, Navi, Tatl and Tael bowed right away. Leia bowed as well, although her movements were more painful due to the glaive in her right shoulder.  
"Rise, brave warriors." Venus said in a soft, angelic tone.  
The group rose up, with Reimu helping Leia upright.  
"You have journeyed from afar and faced many hardships to come and see me. What is it that I can do for you?" Venus asked.  
"Your Highness, we have come here with a humble request, which is to have five of our friends, whom have fallen by the hands of beings of pure evil, restored back to life." Rauru said.  
"Oh? And who is the one requesting this?" Venus asked, frowning.  
"I am Rauru, the Sage of Light. I hail from the Kingdom of Hyrule."  
"I see. And who are your comrades?"  
"I am Darunia, Leader of the Goron Tribe in Death Mountain, Hyrule as well as being the Sage of Fire." Darunia said.  
"I am Impa, last of the Sheikah and the Sage of Shadow." Impa said.  
"I am Reimu. I'm in command of a small group of Gerudo Guards from the Gerudo Desert in Hyrule. Next to me is my younger sister Leia." Reimu said.  
Venus nodded in response to the greetings.  
"And who are the ones you wish to have restored to life?" She then asked.  
Rauru then got out the crystal he had in his pocket and restored it to its normal size, being a block of ice. Darunia then proceeded to use his own Sage powers to melt the ice, revealing the bodies of Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru, each of them still in excellent state due to the ice having conserved them well. Both Reimu and Leia teared up at seeing their leader like that, while Venus herself blinked.  
"Such young people… what has happened?" She asked, in a tone that she showed interest and that she didn't accept any lies.  
Rauru, Darunia and Impa each explained in turns the events that have occurred up to this point, with Impa showing the proof of releasing the spirits of the five from her shadow, each of them floating towards their own bodies after bowing to the Fairy Queen politely. Venus listened with great interest and, using her own powers, concluded that the three Sages were speaking the truth, especially considering their emotional state. After the three Sages were done with explaining their story to Venus, the Fairy Queen crossed her arms and closed her eyes for a moment, as if either thinking or meditating. It appeared she was gathering the evidence she heard and what she concluded by the sight of the body language of the three. Eventually she uncrossed her arms and opened her eyes, the expression on her face turning into a sweet smile.  
"I understand the severity of the crisis that both Hyrule and Termina are in," Venus began as she spread her arms, floating up a little until she was close to the five bodies, "therefore I shall grant you your request."  
As the spirits of Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru floated right above their respective bodies, Venus began to cite an incantation in a language that only people of ancient times could possibly understand as she closed her eyes, focusing her powers and encasing the five bodies and their spirits above them in a warm, gentle glow. Eventually, Venus opened her eyes as she spread her hands over the five bodies, the glow intensifying as the spirits began to sink into their own bodies, before they were out of sight.  
"Great Warriors of Hyrule, your journey to reach your goals shall continue, as with this gift I give, your life force shall be restored to you. May you once more have the power to proceed on your quest and liberate the world of the evil that has infested it." She said, finalizing her incantations as the glow intensified for a moment, blinding Impa, Darunia, Reimu, Leia, Navi, Tatl, Tael and Rauru for the span of several seconds.

The glow vanished after about 10 seconds, after which the three Sages could look again. Venus, the Fairy Queen, floated backwards a bit, allowing the three Sages to look for themselves as the five bodies, once deceased, now began to stir and move… before their eyes opened as well.  
"Uuuhhnnn… what happened?" Link asked as he woke up, before blinking as he sat upright.  
"What the-?! My heart… I can feel it beating again in my chest… and my legs, I can feel my legs again!" He said of excitement as he got up, showing no sign of any injury on his body, as he was completely resurrected.  
A couple of seconds later, Zelda, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru all sat up as well, each of them fully resurrected and their bodies healed of any injuries they may have suffered before their death. Impa was elated and held Princess Zelda in her arms soon enough, crying of happiness this time. Darunia held both Link and Saria in a gentle hug, which was for Goron standards incredibly soft and timid. Rauru smiled upon seeing Nabooru and Ruto again. Once those hugs were done, Link promptly hugged both Saria and Zelda simultaneously, causing both girls to blush a little, after which Link also gave a hug to Ruto and Nabooru, although they were more in control of themselves. At the same time, Venus then turned to Leia.  
"Come here, Gerudo warrior." She said.  
Leia obeyed, walking towards Venus while she smiled.  
"You have fought with honor, Gerudo. May you be able to perform your duties without hinder once more." She said, before touching the glaive that had impaled her… which promptly vanished into nothingness, after which the injury in Leia's right shoulder began to heal up while the Gerudo didn't feel any pain… as if she was being soothed during her recovery, much to Reimu's relief.

Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru were handed their equipment and weapons that could be salvaged from the ill-fated attack, with Link obtaining both his Master Sword and Gilded Sword.  
"Young hero, please come here…" Venus then said to Link.  
"Yes, Your Highness?" Link asked as he approached the Fairy Queen.  
"May I have your blades, please?"  
Link nodded and handed the Master Sword and the Gilded Sword to her. Venus then used her telekinesis to hold a mental grip on the swords.  
"The forces of evil have become more stronger than before, their actions more cruel and terrifying than the world has ever seen before. Therefore it is only in the right for Justice to strike twice as hard than before. Evil must be opposed, may this be the instrument to aid you in this." Venus said, before using her magic to fuse the Master Sword and the Gilded Sword together into a single blade: The Gilded Master Sword.  
Venus then handed the Gilded Master Sword to Link, whom accepted it.  
"Gosh, thank you, Your Highness." Link said, bowing again after sheathing his new blade.  
"Wow, that's amazing!" Princess Zelda said.  
"I must warn you all; the forces of evil are growing more numerous by the day. You must travel through unknown lands to find the items required to finally be able to enter their final lair. The fate of the world lies upon your shoulders, may your mission be successful in the end." Venus said.  
"We hope so too. We thank you for granting us our request." Rauru said as he and the others bowed to her again out of respect.  
Venus smiled at this.  
"You are polite, kind and courageous. You have my blessings to undertake this grotesque adventure that lies before you. My guardian shall guide you outside, so you can continue on your quest. I bid you farewell, until we meet again." Venus said, before she vanished.  
"I shall lead you to a portal that leads to the entrance of the sanctuary, back in Termina." The Guardian said, moving on his way, with the others following.  
"Glad to be back among the living?" Impa then asked the five resurrected people.  
"You bet." Link, Zelda and Saria said in unison, while Ruto and Nabooru nodded in agreement.  
"It honors me to be in the presence of you, Lady Nabooru. I humbly apologize for my actions from earlier; the brainwashing spell inflicted onto me made me do this." Reimu said to Nabooru.  
"It's alright, Reimu, you're forgiven. I know what it's like to be brainwashed and having things done against your will." Nabooru said to her fellow Gerudo, just as they arrived at the portal.  
"Just step through here and you'll be taken outside." The Guardian said.  
Link, the Sages, Navi, Tatl, Tael, Leia and Reimu did so, before they were taken outside in front of the large door they had opened, seeing that the Gerudo Guards were still fighting against their hostile kin.  
"We've just been resurrected and already we get embroiled in a fight." Saria said.  
"At least we now can assist our allies, let's go!" Link said, drawing his newly created Gilded Master Sword.

This assistance proved to be a godsend to the Gerudo Guards as their opponents began to get the upper hand on them. Using their new allies as help, the tables were turned and the brainwashed Gerudo found themselves in a tight pitch now as they fought with all they had. It was partially because of the reluctance to harm their own kin or to try and find an opening to break the curse themselves that the Gerudo Guards eventually began to sport more injuries as a result, but the fighting simply continued. The Deku Nuts that Impa unleashed proved very effective at stunning the Gerudo, which in turn allowed the others to get a strike in on the gems that held control over them. Some of them were already breaking which in turn freed the Gerudos in question from their captivity and mind controlled state. It took the group several minutes, but eventually the brainwashed Gerudo were liberated of the spell that controlled them and those who willingly joined Ganondorf's side were captured and put inside a cell together.  
"So, where are you going now?" Leia then asked Impa.  
"We have information as to where some of the outposts of Ganondorf and Majora's troops are, so we'll head over to them to mess up their plans and give them a big surprise." Impa said.  
"Alright then."  
"What about you?"  
"My sister Reimu and I have some unfinished business here ourselves, like persuading our comrades that their vision in following that brute is wrong. We won't be able to come with you now, but we will try to support you in any way possible whenever we can."  
"Alright. Take care of yourself."  
"Thanks. Please be careful underway."  
"Don't worry, we will." Impa said, before she joined the other sages to go back to the beach where the fisherman would be waiting for them.  
"Thank you for what you have done for us." Reimu then said to them as Link and the Sages turned to smile at them, before leaving.  
Reimu and Leia as well as the Gerudo Guards and their liberated kin waved them off as they left, a genuine smile on their faces.

Climbing back in the cavern and walking back over the present bridges before exiting to arrive at the beach, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru took a moment to take a few deep breaths before moving on.  
"Something wrong?" Rauru asked.  
"No, we just need to get used to having our lungs work again. We have been dead for a few days after all, you know." Link replied.  
"Point taken."  
"So what exactly has been happening during that time?" Nabooru asked.  
"Well, Ganondorf and Majora both relished in their apparent victory of course; while we were busy trying to get ourselves back together and/or trying to find a way to resurrect you, they have been working to spread their influence over Hyrule, of which the Spirit Temple was their primary target due to its rather isolated location. This in turn fits with the surprise attack on the Gerudo Fortress by the combined forces of renegade Gerudo Pirates whom willingly joined the forces of Evil and the Gerudo warriors who were captured and brainwashed over the time between the invasion of Hyrule up until now." Impa said.  
"Aveil did say something about such an attack…" Nabooru said, remembering the conversation they had with her own second-in-command.  
"I also learned that the tower where the ill-fated confrontation was indeed a trap, being left abandoned on purpose to make us think it would be over with quickly, but we greatly underestimated their current power as it is. I confirmed this while I was on my way to the Great Fairy's Fountain near the ruins of Hyrule Castle, while underway retrieving your equipment." Rauru said.  
"I see. So it was a trap all along." Link said, clenching his hands into fists, before noticing that Zelda did the exact same thing.  
This made it clear that Zelda hated Ganondorf just as much as he did.  
"We also came across a few fairies along the way." Darunia said.  
"Really?" Link asked, only to have a fairy flying against his cheek.  
"Link! I missed you so much!" The fairy said, as she finally realized that he was back in his normal body.  
"Well I'll be! Navi the fairy, I haven't seen you since I've put the Master Sword back in its pedestal after defeating Ganondorf in the Future That Almost Was." Link said, being happy to see her.  
"Oh, Link… I am so sorry that I left without saying good-bye and put you through all that trouble in Termina… and I'm also sorry for bothering you so much during our adventure…" Navi then said.  
"It's alright, Navi. I knew you were genuinely wanted to help me during our adventure with your tips, so you're forgiven." Link said with a smile.  
Navi smiled at this, before flying with Link. Tael smiled at this, while Tatl hung around Saria for a moment before joining her brother once more.  
"I have one question, how were you able to keep our bodies fresh?" Ruto then asked.  
"We came across a small ice cave which apparently Rauru knew about. We had your bodies sealed in an ice wall to conserve it properly for resurrection." Impa said.  
"Ah, I see. That explains why I feel like I'm warming up." She said, causing the others to chuckle.  
"So, where do we go from here?" Link asked.  
"Once we're back at the Great Bay area, we'll head for the forest again; apparently Ganondorf and Majora have let their forces set up camp there to springboard an invasion of both Hyrule and Termina." Darunia said.  
"In the forest?! Good grief, that would allow them to attack the Kokiri Forest too, even though the Deku Tree Sprout is growing there to protect them…" Saria said, while Link was also getting nervous.  
Even though he knew due to this being revealed to him in the Future That Almost Was that he was a Hylian and not a Kokiri, Link still considered the Kokiri Forest his home where he was born and raised.  
"Which is why we intend to trash that outpost so we all can have a bit of revenge in. Besides, with your newly powered blade, things should be easier for now, Brother." Darunia said.  
Link smiled.  
"Right, we'll show them a thing or two." He said as the group walked up on the pier where the fisherman was waiting for them, but he looked in a hurry.  
"What's the matter, sir?" Impa asked.  
"There's no time; there's a group of Gerudo on my tail who apparently think I brought you here for stealing their treasures or something! I'll bring you to the coast as fast as I can, hurry!" He said in a panicking voice.  
Without hesitation, Link and the Sages all hopped in the boat, before the fisherman went to control the boat. Then with a loud roar and a whoosh of spray on the pier, the boat began to turn around before the fisherman steered it at full speed back to the Great Bay Coast. No sooner had they left the pier, or several boats and a few of the airships that Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru had seen before appeared behind them from another corner, going in pursuit.  
"We have trouble coming up behind us!" Nabooru said, clocking the pursuers.  
"Time to get back into action!" Link said as Impa handed him and Zelda their bows and arrows.

"THERE THEY ARE! STOP THEM!" A Gerudo on one of the pursuing boats said, the guards with them instantly arming their glaives, ready to board the boat with the group on it to capture them.  
The group could see a total of six boats and three of those airships being in hot pursuit of them, with the Gerudo moving closer on the boats.  
"Oh man, we just got back to life and already people want us dead again!" Ruto said.  
"That's not going to happen anytime soon as far as I'm concerned." Link said, his bow and arrows ready.  
"What are you going to do?" Impa asked.  
"I'll try to see if I can at least disable their engines so they won't be a bother to us as they would need to make repairs." Link said, taking a Fire Arrow and firing it straight at one of the boats in pursuit, scoring a direct hit on its engine, causing it to overheat and shut down, making it slow down and forcing the Gerudo who were on the boat to drop their weapons and try to make repairs.  
"Wow, those boats aren't exactly fireproof." Ruto said.  
"Well, most of them are still made of wood, taking the fail safes aside. Just keep them off our back until we've reached the Great Bay Coast!" the fisherman said.  
"Got it." Link and Zelda said, using their arrows to strike the engines of the boats instead of aiming directly at the Gerudo, apparently not wanting to harm them. Saria and Princess Ruto used their Slingshot and Boomerang respectively to stun the Gerudo who were poised to strike back with their glaives or spears, before Saria clocked one wielding a bow and arrow herself. She fired a Deku Seed at her, which intercepted an arrow fired at the group, before she fired another one that hit the Gerudo in the head, making her lose the bow in the water and which subsequently got crushed in the engine after floating into it, disabling the boat in turn as well. Darunia on his turn used his rock-hard back as a shield to protect the children from being pelted by arrows from the airship-like vessels, which had also Gerudo with bows on them, after which Link and Zelda used normal arrows of their own to cause leaks in the balloons from the airships, making them move to the water and reverting the airships into boats in turn. Eventually the group managed to lose their pursuers, leaving them unharmed or slightly injured stranded on the water for a while, as the Gerudo would have to either use their glaives as oars if they didn't have any ones with them on their boats to make them reach either the lost island or their fortress in Great Bay, much to the Gerudos' dismay. This in turn caused the group to sigh of relief once they were certain they were safe and could proceed towards the Great Bay Coast without any further problems.


	22. Chapter 22: Spiritual Memories

_Chapter 22: Spiritual Memories_

After about 15 minutes or so, the group finally arrived back at the Great Bay Coast in the direction of where the Marine Research Lab, the Fisherman's Hut and the Oceanside Spider House were, passing by Pinnacle Rock along the way. Once at the coast, the group disembarked from the boat and thanked the fisherman for his service, with the fisherman being given 200 Rupees as a reward, which made him smile.  
"Thanks, it at least allows me to get some business done soon." He said.  
"It's alright. We wish you good luck." Impa said as the group left.  
"Oh, while we're here anyway, can you come with me, Ruto?" Link then said.  
"Sure, what is it?" Ruto asked as Link led her to the grave of Mikau.  
"Since I told you about my Zora form during my time here, I figured you may be interested in reading the lyrics of the songs on his grave, which are actually instructions of how his fighting techniques work. Perhaps you can learn them. Afterwards we can make a quick trip to Snowhead to give Darunia the techniques that I learned from Darmani." He said.  
"Wow, that's really cool!" Ruto said, moving on to the grave to ready and study the lyrics.  
"Snowhead, huh? You told me that a tribe of Gorons live there…" Darunia said to Link.  
"That is correct. Their fiercest warrior, a Goron named Darmani, reminded me of you when I saw his spirit. It was surprising to him that I wasn't scared of him, which is when I told him about you, which impressed him." Link said.  
"Really? I'm... touched." Darunia said, nodding.  
"His grave is found in a shrine which is hidden in a cave at the base of the path to Snowhead. It turned out to also be a place where Hot Spring Water is found."  
"Then I wish to see that grave. It is only suitable for me to pay respect to a fallen comrade." Darunia said.  
"Consider your request granted, Brother. I did the same with Ruto when I told her what happened to Mikau, a fellow Zora who was part of a Zora tribe who live at the Great Bay." Link said.  
"Thank you, Link. This does mean a lot to me." Darunia said.  
"Link, what do you want to do after we have visited the grave of Darmani?" Zelda asked.  
"I am certain that none of us can face our arch nemeses right now since it would be too risky and could make things worse, so I suggest we go forth and first become better ourselves so we are properly ready to combat them…" Link said, watching Ruto study the lyrics closely, while Zelda nodded in agreement..  
Just then, Mikau's spirit appeared above the grave.  
"Ah, young Zora Princess; you have returned to these lands." Spirit Mikau said.  
Although initially startled, Princess Ruto regained her composure and smiled.  
"Yes, Mikau. I assume you are aware of the situation at hand, like what is happening now and what has happened to me…  
"Yes, I am, as I have been watching from the Heavenly realms after this young man healed my soul," Mikau said, pointing to Link in that regard, before turning back to the princess, "I will therefore bestow you with the Zora Fighting techniques. Use them well and you will be able to avenge your people in Hyrule and get back at those responsible for your unfortunate demise. May the spirit of the Zora hero flourish within you." He said, before holding his arms in the air, using his magic to encase Ruto in a gentle blue glow, transferring the knowledge of this most useful and most used techniques to her.  
This process lasted for a few seconds, before it vanished, making Mikau smile.  
"It has been done. For one, your swimming skills have been upgraded, allowing you to swim much faster than before. You can also walk on the bottom of any water body as if you were on land." Spirit Mikau said.  
"Thank you." Princess Ruto said, smiling.  
"The lyrics in my gravestone will instruct you how to use your attacks, but I can also give you a rundown quick: First, you can use magic power to generate an electric shield around yourself to stun or defeat enemies instantly. Be sure to use it wisely, but you can use it on both land as well as water. To use it on land however, you must first extend the fin on your forearm as an actual shield first to deflect attacks."  
"Okay." Ruto said, nodding.  
"Second, you can also use your hands and feet to strike at enemies; when attacking, you can lunge your right arm forward, then swing, attempting to hit something with the left fin and end with you kicking up in the air, in a three-move combo! I also enhanced your Double Cutter technique to a point where you can use it in conjunction with your normal Boomerang, so you can in a way attack with THREE boomerangs at once."  
"Wow, so I can attack with my fins AND my boomerang?! That is awesome, thank you so much!" Princess Ruto said, smiling.  
"No problem, dear princess. Now go and make your enemies tremble with the might of a Zora Hero." Mikau said.  
"Don't worry, I will."  
Mikau's spirit nodded, before vanishing, leaving the grave as it has been. Ruto smiled, wiping a tear away as this happened, before she moved to rejoin Link and the others who were waiting for her before continuing on towards Snowhead. Little did they know that they were being tailed by two dark figures, one who looked like Link and the other looked like Zelda…  
"So, they have been brought back to life as Lord Ganondorf suspected…" Dark Link said.  
"Yes… and they appear to head for Snowhead once more… you think they are tourists by coming back to those places…" Dark Zelda said.  
"But they have a new destination… the outpost that has been set up in the forest."  
"We should warn the Stalfos Commander ahead of their approach; this could complicate our plans for eventual world domination."  
"Right. They will learn that the price for defying Lord Ganondorf is death one way or the other."  
"If the forces there can't stop them, we will have to step up to the plate."  
"Indeed. Let's warn our comrades in the forest before they get there."  
Dark Link and Dark Zelda then apparently vanished from sight, although their dark laughter echoed across the Great Bay Coast, causing shivers to run up the fisherman's spine as this happened.

It took the group about a half an hour to reach their destination, even when using the shortest route possible, due to them going on foot. Thankfully the weather remained clear and the path so far remained without danger, save for one or two ChuChus and a Dodongo that tried to be a bother, only to be smacked aside by Darunia. Upon entering the Mountain village again, Link safely led the group towards the wall which had a ladder on it, leading up to the cave which had the grave of Darmani the Third. Climbing up on the ladder, using Link's guidance to lead them in the right direction, the group climbed on top of the ledge, with the cavern in sight. There were no other Gorons around this time however as the group moved on. Entering the area, which was in fact the Shrine created for Darmani, the group was instantly welcomed by a warm atmosphere within the cavern. There was one big grave directly in the center of the area, which had a pond of water around it. Zelda went to check it out, lifting her dress a bit to step in the water.  
"Hey, this water is warm!" She said as she felt the water around her feet being pleasantly warm and not cooling off right away, moving further into it.  
"It's hot spring water," Link said as he joined her after taking his shoes off, "it is capable of melting ice and can be stored in bottles, but it won't stay warm for long in there, so you gotta be quick to take it to one's destination."  
Darunia approached the grave, stepping in the Hot Spring Water as Saria, Ruto and Nabooru soon joined him after removing their shoes to warm their feet in the water, Impa and Rauru soon followed. It was then that a ghost of a Goron appeared just in front of the grave.  
"So many visitors at a time? This is a surprise." It said.  
"Who are you?" Darunia asked.  
"I am Darmani the Third. The blood of proud Goron Heroes runs in me." The ghost replied.  
"So you are the great Darmani, huh? I've heard great stories of you from fellow Gorons who came to visit …"  
"Yes. Back when I was alive, I was a renowned warrior and veteran. I was fine until I marched off to Snowhead by myself, hoping that I could drive off a demon, who had been wrecking havoc on Goron Village... then the Snowhead's blizzard blew me into the valley below... and here I am now..."  
"I have heard what happened to you through my Sworn Brother and friend Link."  
"He was the one who managed to heal my soul and managed to fulfill my final wish, to bring peace and spring back to the Goron Village, restoring the climate in the process. I lent him my powers in order for him to overcome the challenges ahead. "  
"I assume you know about what is going on out there?"  
"Yes. I have felt the forces of evil gathering together once more, even from the realm of the heavens which I reside in now. It appears that the decisive battle will come soon, which will seal the fate of the world, depending on the outcome. I therefore wish to bestow upon you, the same powers I have once lent to Link. My grave contains the instructions of how to use these powers. Use them wisely." Darmani the ghost said, after which he raised his hands to the sky, bestowing Darunia with his powers by encasing him in a gentle red glow for several seconds.  
"I've given you the abilities to let spikes emerge from your body while rolling forward. This will help in mowing down any enemy in your path, but it uses magic power. Your Goron Punches have been enhanced so you can unleash a powerful barrage of heavy Goron Punches to send your enemies into oblivion. You can also unleash a Goron Pound that has the force of the Megaton Hammer on the spot. This is the best thing I can do for you." Darmani said.  
"Thank you, Darmani. I shall use my new abilities when I need it." Darunia said, nodding in gratitude.  
Darmani nodded.  
"May you unleash the fury of a Goron Hero upon your foes." He said, before vanishing, leaving the group alone in silence.

"I wonder if the Kokiri Forest has a hot spring water area somewhere," Saria said as the group went on their way towards the forest again, "I actually liked that water."  
"Hmmm, perhaps the Deku Tree Sprout may know something?" Link asked.  
"Who knows…" She said, smiling.  
"So, where's the outpost that you mentioned, Impa? All we know is that it's in a forest." Zelda then said.  
"I've overheard some of the villains talking about where it is, so what we're looking for is an open field that has a few structures in it." Impa replied.  
"Hmmm, perhaps we could try to find it quicker if we had a map." Ruto said, thinking.  
"True, but I feel certain that we can find it soon." Nabooru said, smiling as she patted Ruto on the head.  
Ruto smiled as the group went down Snowhead, taking the direct route down towards Termina Field.  
"So, what exactly happened to you after your death? All we know is that you couldn't pass on due to the regrets you carried with you…" Rauru said.  
Link looked at the elder Sage.  
"To be very honest, all we five did was stick around a clearing with a small brook and large stones and rocks around and finding comfort with each other, until we noticed Impa arriving in the area when she needed some time for herself, which is when we approached her, with Zelda going first." Link said.  
Rauru nodded at this.  
"But that's in the past. We should move on and see what we can do to take Ganondorf and Majora down once and for all." Link then said.  
"True, so how are we going to handle this?" Saria asked.  
"We'll first go to mess up their outposts to remove the threats towards our homes and the citizens around Hyrule and Termina who went into either hiding or into exile due to the situations transpired during our stay in Termina and all. Who knows what we may find there in turn." Link replied.  
"True, then it's only a matter of preparing ourselves for the TRUE final showdown." Zelda said, nodding.  
"The only thing we need to look out for is that they don't come to us; you and I did take our respective Triforce pieces with us to our graves, coupled with the items we treasure the most…" Link said.  
Zelda nodded in agreement.  
"We just got back to life and I don't intend on dying again, so I agree with you on that." Saria then said.  
Nabooru also nodded, looking around as they entered Termina Field, after which Link played Epona's song. Immediately, the neighing of a horse approached them… it was Epona herself, right before a few other horses approached along as well, as if they had been tailing Epona.  
"Looks like some of the other horses have taken a liking to the song as well." Saria said as Epona stopped in front of Link, gently touching him with her face as if wanting to say that she's glad to see him again.  
Link then mounted Epona, this time joined by Saria whom held him from behind, while Nabooru took Ruto with her on a second horse. Impa mounted another horse and took Zelda with her, while the last horse was mounted by Rauru. Darunia opted to use his Goron Roll to move fast on the same speed as the group took off towards the forest. It was as if the group was happy again to be together. Link smiled as the group rode on into the forest, as if he was genuinely happy.

Riding into the forest for about a good 30 minutes, the group stopped at a small, calm river to rest up for a bit and let the horses drink and rest for a while as well. This in turn allowed the group to do a final check-up on their gear and in turn make an inventory of whatever ammunition they have left at their disposal. Considering it was also getting dusk made the want for actual rest higher, which leaves the group around a campfire frying some fish they caught.  
"So, where do we go next once we've dealt with the outpost here?" Nabooru asked.  
"All we can do is try to become even stronger than we've ever been before. Perhaps we could also visit places where we can sharpen our skills even further in general. I remember that Clock Town has a Sword Training Center that allows the ones who wield blades to hone their skills on it and perhaps learn a new thing or two."  
"I see you are someone who does like to be prepared properly, I expected nothing less from the Hero of Time." Rauru said, seeing the wisdom in Link's reasoning.  
"Look, we all agree that things around here have become much more hectic than before. We all now know how bad Ganondorf and Majora are and simply didn't expect them to have become this strong as they are now, which led to initial deaths of Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru and myself by their hands. Now that we are better informed in a way, I say we should do whatever we can to rectify our initial mistakes and find ways to counteract that power of theirs." Link said.  
"True, I wouldn't be surprised if their forces are being made stronger as well, just to counter or weaken us again if we would go straight to them as we are now." Zelda said.  
"And I highly doubt that with our current strength and all, we would stand a chance against them as it is." Saria said.  
"Which is why we have to take this route in order to become stronger ourselves. Given the circumstances, they know about our capabilities thus far. All that remains for us is to find a way to bring the element of surprise back to us." Link said, to which the Sages all nodded.  
"Speaking of which, that reminds me of something what a Deku once said to us back in Ikana Canyon." Zelda said.  
"What did he say?" Impa asked.  
"He said to us that he overheard this: While most enemies can be beaten easily in a group, some of the more tougher ones require more power and may need to be faced with a fighter of the same caliber. That's what he said." Zelda replied.  
"It confused me to be honest, since I have even now no idea what he was talking about or hinting to…" Link said.  
"Same here." Saria said.  
"It could be possible that he meant that some beings may require a different way to beat." Rauru said.  
"Hmmm, that leads me to believe that he could be talking about the masks I used during my first time in Termina, but I'm also wondering if it could possibly hint at something else; I can recall Kotake and Koume merging into a single entity known as Twinrova when I fought them in the Spirit Temple back in the Future That Almost Was." Link said, thinking more serious about it while he and Saria both turned over their fish over the fire.  
"Two beings merging into one? Well, considering that Koume and Kotake are witches, I can see that they could do something like that, but as for other people…" Nabooru said.  
"It is definitely something to think about." Rauru said.  
Zelda nodded as she too turned her fish over on the fire, wanting to fry it properly.  
"So, what are we going to do once we've defeated Ganondorf and Majora?" Ruto asked.  
"I say we simply burn Majora's Mask once we get our hands on it. If it burns away, Majora will have in any case permanently lost his main power source and we can then be sure he won't come back." Darunia said.  
"That's a good idea. That way we will also be sure that the mask itself will never fall again into enemy hands." Impa said.  
"And what about Ganondorf?" Rauru asked.  
"I way we kill Ganondorf," Nabooru said, "that is, if we want to be sure that he will never come back either."  
"I agree with Nabooru on this," Link said, "after all, he pretty much is the bane of our existence by making our lives miserable. Besides, he still has the Triforce of Power, so we need to take that from him first. While I also have thought about sealing him up again, I somehow can't help to get the feeling that he may come back again after he has gained enough power."  
"True, but how do we extract it from him?" Zelda asked.  
"It's likely he'll try something with us since we contain the other two pieces, but as we all know, a wish on the Triforce can only become true if one TOUCHES it, so we need to get him off-guard in order to touch it BEFORE Ganondorf does." Link said.  
Zelda cringed at the thought of Ganondorf making his wish come true and obtaining the True Force, becoming the Evil King of the World and remaking the world in his image, defeating all who oppose him without a second thought.  
"So it's getting even harder than I thought…" Rauru said, before Link and Saria both tested their fish to see if it was properly fried enough to eat, before eating.

It wasn't too long before the others went to eat as well, the eating going on silent as each of them still had a lot to think about. The horses were currently munching on the food that Malon had supplied the group with so the horses themselves were also properly looked after, before the horses laid down to rest. The group on their turn, after done with their dinner, set up a sort-of camping site using emergency supplies they bought during their short stay in Clock Town so they could have some protection from the weather. They went into their tents after wishing each other a good night.

Link and Saria laid together in one tent. While there was no immediate danger nearby, they had a hard time sleeping. Perhaps it was because of their recent resurrection that they simply had to get used to their vital organs functioning again. They looked at each other as they turned around.  
"Having trouble sleeping?" Both asked each other simultaneously, before they giggled at this for a moment.  
"Yeah, I honestly have trouble sleeping actually." Link said.  
"Me too. So many things have happened that I almost can't wrap my head around it..." Saria replied.  
Both Link and Saria sighed, before blinking as the zipper of their tent was moved up, before another person entered the tent, after which the zipper was pulled down again.  
"Can't sleep either?" The person asked.  
"No, Zelda, we can't." Link said.  
"Same with me." Zelda said as she laid down at Link's other side.  
"At least we have something in common." Link said, making Saria and Zelda both chuckle.  
"It's funny you should say that; we have a lot more things in common than just this..." Zelda said.  
"We have?" Link asked, blinking.  
"Yeah. Remember the day you took us out fishing with you about four months ago?" Saria then asked...

_Four months prior to the appearance of Agahnim and the resurrection of Majora... It was a lovely day in Hyrule when Link and Saria went out of their home in the Kokiri Forest to pick up Princess Zelda, who was waiting for them in Hyrule Castle Town. After their meeting-up, the three went to the Fishing Pond in Lake Hylia to do some fishing together, mainly to relax and just catch up on things. Soon enough, the three sat at one side of the pond, with each of them keeping an occasional eye on the fishing rod while simply chatting together.  
"So, how's things at the castle, Zel?" Link then asked.  
Zelda blinked at that nickname, blushing even for a brief moment as she for some reason liked the sound of it, but regained her composure rapidly.  
"Things are going fine actually. Everything goes peaceful as it should be, save for the punishing of the bandits that are brought in on occasion by our guards..." She then said with a smile.  
"Good, as long as they're no power-obsessed thieves that try to make their move under false pretenses..." Link said, making Zelda giggle.  
"And check out the weather, it is a lovely day indeed." Saria said, relaxing on the shore as she laid down.  
"How's things at your place, Link and Saria?" Zelda asked.  
"Things are easy lately, especially after Mido has been much less of a bully lately." Link said.  
"Yeah. Perhaps he has finally come to respect you and your deeds, especially since you and I can leave the forest without harm coming to us." Saria said, smiling.  
"Yeah, looking back at what happened up to where Navi first came to me, Mido really was a jerk. I bet he didn't think I could leave the forest and come back safely myself." Link said.  
Saria giggled at this.  
"This area feels pleasant too, it is different from the forest as a whole," she said, "and it feels just as nice."  
Link and Zelda both agreed to this.  
"So, I wonder what has changed here, you said you caught here a 10-pound fish once…" Zelda said.  
"The owner here said something about new fish being placed in here or having otherwise grown over time. I wonder how big the catch could be…" Link said, just as he spotted the line on the rod moving, frowning.  
"What's up?" Saria asked.  
"I think I got one." Link said, carefully picking up the rod as he now caught the fish… only to have some real trouble reeling it in.  
"Oh wow! This one… must be REALLY… big!" Link said as he struggled to reel it in, using a log in front of him to have some extra weight in for himself, but it still wasn't enough!  
Link almost found himself being yanked into the pond, when both Saria and Zelda decided to help him, with Saria holding Link from behind and Zelda held Saria from behind, each of the three pulling as hard as they could to reel the fish in. They tried hard and did their best, but as they were pulled forward one last time, the line broke, causing the three to fall into the water with a yelp and a loud splash. Hearing this, the owner went to take a look at his pond, only to see the three children in the pond with the rod a bit further away from them, but the three were obviously having a good laugh about it, which confused him.  
"Looks like instead of us catching the fish, the fish caught us." Link said with a laugh.  
"That was something fishy." Zelda said with a laugh as well.  
"Well, as long as they're having fun…" The fish pond owner said to himself as he went to get some towels and some dry clothes for the children._

Link, Saria and Zelda laughed again at the memories of such good times, making them forget about their problems for a moment.  
"Those were definitely good times." Link said.  
"You bet," Zelda said, "and it feels good to be just able to play outside the castle without worries for me."  
"Has Impa known about you sneaking out to spend time with us?" Saria then asked.  
"Yeah, in fact, she actually didn't stop me; she went with me to just keep watch over me and by extension you after all." Zelda said.  
"Ah yeah, I remember. Perhaps she wanted a change in scenery as well, which is why she went along with you."  
"Indeed. It does feel good to be outside the castle while there's no threat around."  
"I also recall the times we spent together with Ruto and Nabooru in those secret grottos all over Hyrule Field…" Link said.  
"Ah, our favorite hiding spots…" Saria said, smiling.  
"Yeah, although some were a bit unsettling with all those spider webs around…" Zelda said, shuddering.  
"True, but they were fortunately out of our reach. Besides, those Skulltulas do form decent target practice." Link said.  
"You got me there." She said.  
"Anyway, I think we should try to rest. We'll have a very busy day tomorrow…" Link said as he handed part of his blanket over to Zelda, who smiled as she and Saria snuggled against Link before the three were eventually out like a light.


	23. Chapter 23: The Stalfos Forest Outpost

_Chapter 23: The Stalfos Forest Outpost_

The night was uneventful for the rest, so on the following morning, Link and the Sages woke up, refreshed and getting reach for what could probably the greatest mission ever. After cleaning up their campsite and everything, the group made their way through the forest, heading for the outpost that was said to be around the area. It was then that Link spotted some movement ahead, moving to the west and let Epona slow down.  
"What's the matter, Link?" Saria asked as the others also slowed down.  
"I'm thinking to see some movements in the far distance…" He said, steering Epona towards where he believed the movement was heading for.  
The movements were rather slow, as Link didn't want to raise any alarm yet. The Sages could understand this kind of caution from the hero, knowing that it would be too risky to charge ahead right away.  
"Huh? Is that a clearing ahead?" Saria softly said to Link, seeing as the amount of trees began to lessen around them.  
"Possibly. We should hide the horses and see where this clearing leads to." He said, stopping Epona amongst a group of bushes before he and Saria dismounted.  
The Sages followed this example, while Link and Saria carefully approached a group of stones that were in the clearing, peeking over it. As the Sages joined them, they could see that there was a pathway leading to a curious structure that appeared to be set up to use as a storage facility, seeing as they saw a few Stalfos working to carry a few crates into the building.  
"Could this be what we're looking for?" Zelda asked.  
"Possibly, or this could be the vanguard of something bigger; this looks way too small to be set up out here…" Impa replied.  
"Looks like we have the right opportunity to mess 'em up for what they did to us." Nabooru said.  
"Right. Let's find a way in the area and see what we can find in this place." Darunia said.  
Nodding, the group prepared themselves to find a way into the area, with Link already having clocked two Stalfos who were working to deliver chests into the area. Link himself was being nervous, as he also had a mask with him that he hoped he would never use until they would return to the Temple of Time, but he hid this under his usual serious and determined expression.

Managing to find a safe path over the hill that allowed them to climb over the rocks that formed like a barrier over the area, the group of eight valiant heroes arrived into the area to where the building was, the two Stalfos having remained outside to guard it.  
"So far, so good; these Stalfos haven't seen us yet." Zelda said as she readied her own Gilded Sword, while the rest also prepared their weapons.  
"Right. Get ready." Impa said.  
When Link drew his own blade, the Sages could feel the power emanating from it, allowing them to take a good look at it, which was aptly named the Gilded Master Sword. The Gilded Master Sword itself looked like a complete fusion between the swords that Link used during his adventures in Termina, being the upgraded Kokiri Sword and the sword that he frequently used in the Future That Almost Was, the Master Sword. It retained the blue/purple colored hilt with the golden diamond with the long blade itself, which contained the mark of the Triforce from the Master Sword, but the blade itself had a pattern of diamond-shaped figures made out of pure gold in the center part of the blade, with ruby-red patches in the hilt below where it connected with the blade and the parts that stood out from the hilt were longer and made out of silver while extending more outward, like the Gilded Sword. The very bottom part of the hilt was now sporting a white-colored sphere, which in turn would give Link a greater grip on the blade itself. It was as if both of the swords had been reforged into a single blade, with TWICE the evil-smiting power from the Original Master Sword. Whether this upgrade was permanent or temporary remains to be seen. Link noticed the Sages looking at his sword, making him smile.  
"Venus the Fairy Queen gave me this to deal extra pain to our enemies." He said.  
"And now we can see it in action, let's go." Zelda said.  
As soon as the group moved towards the building, the Stalfos clocked them and went on the offensive, although initially stopping when they saw the group of Link and the four Sages being back alive. This momentum allowed the group to deliver the first strike before the Stalfos regained their vigor to retaliate. The Stalfos fought with their might, but they were each outnumbered four to one, so the two skeletal warriors soon were defeated, disintegrating in sheets of green flame after being downed. This in turn gave the group access to the building.  
"This looks recently set up..." Link said as he entered the building.  
"Yeah. I wonder what we can find here." Saria said.  
"There is some security out here because of the poisonous water that flows at the bottom, watch your step." Impa said as the group walked over a safe path to a room containing a cage.  
"Another cage?" Link asked.  
"I wonder who has been held here..." Ruto said.  
Zelda took an arrow and shot the cage down, breaking it and releasing another Deku Scrub!  
"What on Hyrule do they have against Dekus?" Saria asked.  
"Wait, this one looks different…" Rauru deducted as the Deku looked around in fright, before collapsing and started so shake… as if it was crying.  
Getting sad himself, Link approached the Deku Scrub, having put his weapons away to show he wasn't having any malicious intents towards it. As the Deku Scrub looked up, it saw Link crouching down at eye level.  
"What's wrong?" Link asked.  
"I… I have been cursed into this form by a masked figure…" The Deku said.  
Link already had a hunch of who it was.  
"What did the masked figure look like?" He asked, just to be sure.  
"It… had so many colors… and those spikes made it look like having horns all over… but those eyes… those fiery, soul-piercing eyes…" The Deku said, shivering.  
"Majora…" Link said, his hands clenching into fists.  
"Yeah, that's his name; I heard some of his troops naming him!" The Deku said.  
Right thereafter, Link grabbed his Ocarina and without hesitation began to play the Song of Healing for the Deku, instantly making it sway and glow… before the Deku face came off like a mask and the Deku itself became a child… causing Navi to gasp out.  
"What is it, Navi?" Saria asked.  
"That kid looks like the one Link gave the Spooky Mask to in the Graveyard of Kakariko Village!" She said.  
This information caused Link to do a serious double-take, before looking at the child. It was indeed the Graveyard Boy, with the lock of red hair on the front, wearing his plain white shirt, blue shorts and brown shoes while carrying a Deku Stick.  
"How did you get here?!" Link asked.  
"I… I was captured during a surprise attack on our new village elsewhere… since Kakariko was destroyed due to Death Mountain erupting, the villagers of Kakariko as well as Goron City fled into this area. Some of us sought refuge within the Goron Village in Snowhead and Clock Town respectively, while others tried to settle in a more remote part until they could return to their homes. Sadly, this unknown location was also the spot for an attack, during which the villagers, including myself, were captured and/or killed. Only a very few people remained here as prisoners, some of them even cursed like I was, but others have been taken away, probably towards Hyrule itself…" The Graveyard Boy replied.  
Link growled in actual anger while Saria went to comfort the boy, while seeing the rather angry expression on Link's face. Eventually he spoke.  
"I know how you feel, kid," Link began, "Majora did the exact same thing to me when we met back in Termina after he stole my horse Epona as well something else…"  
Zelda knew he was talking about the Ocarina of Time, but decided against naming it to prevent others from listening in, which she found wise to do so.  
"You have met Majora before?" The Graveyard boy asked.  
"Yes and after I got my normal body back myself and went through several hardships taught him a lesson he wouldn't forget back then. It appears however that Majora is now back and get revenge on me and my friends, partially due to making an alliance with Ganondorf of all people." He said.  
The boy gasped at this, evidently getting scared now.  
"Look, you're a good kid, but this place is not safe for you. My friends and I will take care of things here, you should go towards Clock Town as soon as you can, or otherwise hide until the area's safe enough for you to make your escape." He said.  
The boy nodded.  
"They've been storing a lot of ammunition in this area however, I overheard them saying that they're preparing some kind of massive attack or something. This could be the vanguard of an assault that will probably spearhead their total rule over Hyrule and Termina and perhaps the whole world later on." He then said.  
"Thank you, kid. You've given us exactly the information we need." Impa said, patting the boy on his head.  
"You can go and hide somewhere until we get back. Things are going downhill here very soon and we wouldn't want you to get caught in the crossfire." Darunia said.  
The boy nodded, before moving off to a place to hide, showing the group the way out of the building in turn as well as showing them where to access the storage area. Seeing another platform with a screwed tilt, Princess Ruto brought it down with her Magical Boomerang, allowing the group to climb up into the area, entering a room which had crates stacked all over along the walls.  
"Geez, that boy sure wasn't kidding!" Princess Zelda said.

"I'll say." Impa said.  
Link on his turn looked around the area and saw a bridge leading toward what appeared to be a hollowed tree, but it was blocked by a barrier that looked brittle, but solid.  
"So much for progress..." He said as he looked at the barrier.  
But before the others could respond, a couple of more Stalfos came from a room behind the group and began to attack. Thankfully Darunia clocked them and using his new Fire Punch Barrage he punched the Stalfos' head clean off, while two more went on the offensive. One of them was dealt with by Rauru and Impa with the aid of Zelda and Ruto, putting pressure on it before dealing the deathblow, while Link and Saria kept the last one occupied so it couldn't come to the aid of its comrade. Darunia aided the two forest children in kind by shielding them from an incoming attack, the Stalfos' sword ricocheting off of Darunia's solid, rock-hard back without doing actual damage. Link and Saria made use of that momentum by striking back at the Stalfos, eventually killing it before Saria spotted yet another cage, which this time looked more like a prison cell.  
"Our nemeses really have taken a liking into prisoners..." She said as she located a switch nearby that she and Link stepped on, opening the cage.  
Darunia blinked as he saw a Goron in the cage, whom got up and was elated at seeing his leader.  
"Are you releasing me? Am I free to go?" He asked.  
"Of course," Darunia said, "how did you end up here anyway?"  
"I was one of the Gorons they captured and brought here in this prison. I have something to tell you in gratitude for releasing me." He said.  
"And what would that be?"  
"You see that barrier over there? There's multiple of these around these area, but regular bombs won't affect them. You need an explosive of a greater force to break these down." The Goron said.  
"Come to think of it, I still have a powder keg with me..." Darunia said, nodding.  
"That's great! You should try it on the barrier at the far side of this room first; that is a place that holds ammunition that you can use, including additional powder kegs. I've seen them being stored in here before being locked inside this cell." The Goron said as he stepped out of his prison.  
"Alright, let's make it work then." Darunia said as he took his powder keg and lit its fuse, causing the others to give him a wide berth as Darunia took it to the other side of the room and laid it in front of the barrier before getting some distance himself as the powder keg began to tick faster.  
It wasn't too long before the powder keg exploded with a loud explosion, destroying the barrier in the process, giving the group access to the room where several chests were present. Looking into the room, Link and the Sages didn't hesitate to move in the room to see what the chests contained. Darunia discovered another powder keg in one of the bigger chests, which he immediately put to use to demolish the other barrier. At the same moment, Link discovered a supply of bombs, Zelda found some bundles of arrows, Saria gained a new, fresh set of Deku Seeds, Impa revealed a supply of Deku Nuts, Ruto found a bundle of Deku Sticks, Nabooru found a set of Bombchus and Rauru found a couple of Empty Bottles which could be filled with things like medicines and everything. A second loud explosion then sounded in the area as Darunia used his new powder keg to break the barrier to the hollowed tree down, before rejoining the others and finding another new powder keg in the remaining chest, keeping it for the time being. The freed Goron went ahead to make his own way out of the area and hide, while Link and the Sages went down into the hollowed tree, ending up at an area that had a small brook at one side, but had a waterfall at its end. A bridge spanned over one side of the area, which had several Stalfos and Dinolfos working together to move supplies about, one of them even loading a crate onto one of their airships before it flew on its own accord towards its destination.  
"Looks like we came here just in time." Zelda said.  
"I agree, let's crash this little party of theirs. They deserve it." Link said.  
This time, it was Link and the Sages who attacked first, catching the Dinolfos and Stalfos by surprise, several of them already being taken out in the first couple of swings, while the others did what they could to fight back. Thankfully, the new Red Shields that Rauru gave the children of the group renewed their protection and defense power in turn after that fateful attack destroyed the first shields, so the group was able to maintain pressure on their enemies.  
"Wow, it sure feels great to get back in the swing of this." Link said, downing a Dinolfos before assisting Zelda against a Stalfos.  
"You said it, Link." The princess said in agreement, while Nabooru sliced two more Dinolfos to bits, while Darunia had no troubles with tearing another Stalfos apart.  
Impa came to the aid of Saria and Ruto against the last Dinolfos, while Rauru used his Light Magic to smite the last Stalfos into oblivion, leaving the group eventually alone in the area, save for the chests that contained some additional supplies.

With that battle over, Link sheathed his weapons and took out one of his own bottles and put it into the water, filling it up before he brought it to his mouth to take a sip of it.  
"Wow, the water tastes fresh here, reminds me of Spring Water." He said as he began to drink from the bottle to lessen his thirst.  
The Sages didn't hesitate to follow this example, lessening their thirst, before Link and Saria both went to stand underneath the waterfall to get themselves washed up. It was a common practice they did during their time in the Kokiri Forest after all. Finding it amusing, Zelda followed this example, as did Ruto, although it was logical for the latter after all.  
"Link, are my eyes deceiving me or do I see a set of ladders hidden here behind this waterfall?" Saria then said.  
"They're not deceiving you, Saria, there are ladders around here. Apparently they tried to use the waterfall to hinder us in our progress. Too bad for them that it didn't work." Link said as he went to climb up the ladder, with Saria and Zelda moving on the ladders flanking the one Link was climbing on.  
The other Sages also followed, being cautious but feeling that this was the only way to continue.

It took the group a few minutes before they finally reached the top of the Waterfall, finding a path that led into a cavern, which the group passed through without incidents, ending up in a clearing further into the forest. They stopped for a moment to rest up a bit and letting their clothes dry up.  
"Wow, those ladders were the longest ones I've ever climbed up on." Link said.  
"I'll say, it seemed a lot higher than trying to get from the bottom to the ground floor of the Deku Tree..." Saria said as she sat down next to Link after he sat against the trunk of a tree, with Zelda joining his other side. Ruto sat next to Saria and Nabooru went to sit next to Zelda, with Rauru, Darunia and Impa sitting down in front of them.  
"Well, at least we made it through this safely so far..." Impa said.  
"So far, so good," Saria said, "but we mustn't grow careless now. Any mistake on our part will cost us dearly in the end."  
"True, especially with what has happened to us not too long ago..." Ruto said, shuddering.  
"Link, what's that in your bag?" Zelda then asked, spotting what appeared to have the contours of a mask.  
Link looked into his bag, seeing what Zelda meant. He saw that she was looking at a mask that appeared to have white hair and facial markings on it, coupled with what appeared to be a cyan-colored cap. He sighed deeply.  
"That is the Fierce Deity's Mask I mentioned. I had it purposefully buried underneath all my other stuff, so I wouldn't be able to look at it until we had the mask purified." Link said, showing his distaste for the mask itself, which the Sages could understand.  
They could sense the energy and power coming from it, as well as Link's own distaste of the mask.  
"I can see why you dislike the mask. It's indeed better to keep it away until we've returned at the Temple of Time." Rauru said, nodding at Link, feeling that they should have done this sooner instead of wanting to wait until Ganondorf and Majora had been defeated according to his initial idea.  
Link nodded, burying the mask underneath his other items in his bag before putting it away, shuddering visibly as he resisted the mask's attempt to put it on successfully.  
"Don't worry, Link. We'll make sure the mask will be safe to use in the future." Zelda said, putting a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.  
"Thank you, Zelda." He said with a smile on his face, which made Zelda smile in turn.

After a few minutes of rest, Link and the Sages got back up and readjusted their gear, after which they went on their way again. Hopping down a small cliff which was only about a very few meters high, the group made their way further into a clearing, where they encountered what appeared to be a construction site, complete with constructed bridges to form as pathways and parts of trees and rocks having been hollowed out to sport rooms for storage, as well as one cell which was blocked by another barrier which required the Powder Keg to break, being located on the higher part of the area. Darunia spotted a second barrier on ground level which would hide either treasure or another supply of ammunition in kind. For the rest, the group could see a large contingent of enemies around. On the upper area there were two Moblins looking around, standing guard, their spears ready and poised to charge at any intruder in direct sight and range. Several Corrupted Sword Soldiers were present as well, standing on guard while a group of Dinolfos were present to look after the barriers set up. The group already saw one of the Sword Soldiers leaving with an airship, which went out of sight rapidly. Another thing to note was that a camp fire had been set up at one side of the area, while close by there was a table and a couple of chairs, obviously belonging to the Corrupted Sword Soldiers.  
"Looks like you called it right, Impa; this camp looks bigger than the one we saw when entering this area." Zelda said.  
"There's no Stalfos around here, but perhaps they're further back?" Saria asked.  
"That's very likely; the Stalfos are known to appear on multiple places overall… I've seen and fought them in most of the temples, if not all of them and then there were those in ambush for us back in Termina when Majora sent the five of us there." Link said.  
Zelda, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru visibly shuddered, knowing how relentless the Stalfos can be…  
"So, what's the plan here?" Ruto asked.  
"Those Moblins are definitely going to be a bother, but their size is at our advantage to take them out from a safe distance…" Link said.  
"Right. We should be able to catch the others off-guard if we sneak up on them." Zelda said.  
Sneaking carefully closer until they were behind one Dinolfos standing on guard, with the other soldiers being elsewhere on guard on patrol, making sure they weren't seen, Link and the Sages used a tactic to surprise their enemies. With Darunia forming up to become like a rock, Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto hid behind him, while Nabooru, Impa and Rauru kept their distance while Link readied an arrow, aiming for one of the Moblins in the far distance. Letting an arrow fly, it struck the Moblin right in the forehead, killing him instantly. Zelda did the same with the second Moblin.  
"Wow, look like your training at the Shooting Galleries has paid off, Zel." Link said.  
Zelda giggled, finding the nickname amusing.  
"That's two major pests out of the way." Saria said.  
"Indeed. Now we can focus on the others without worries." Ruto added.

Link and Zelda sneaked closer to the Dinolfos, before both used a jump attack to cleave the Dinolfos in three, causing it to howl which in turn alerted the other troops. This in turn allowed the others, who had taken their positions, in action, with Saria and Ruto both crossing blades with Corrupted Sword Soldiers, while Darunia took pleasure in making mincemeat of the remaining Dinolfos. Impa aided Saria and Ruto, while Nabooru, Link, Zelda and Ruto charged at the remaining Sword Soldiers, which in turn triggered quite a sword fight as the sound of blades clashing against each other were heard. Fortunately, Link and the Sages gained the upper hand as the Stalfos were soon decimated and the Dinolfos were made a head shorter. Still, the group didn't come out of the battle unscathed with the few cuts and bruises here and there, but there was nothing too serious…  
"Whew, at least those mooks have been dealt with now." Link said.  
"Yep. Now we can continue and see what we can find here." Zelda said, nodding as the group moved on in the area as Darunia destroyed the ground level barrier, locating some more ammunition for the group as well as Hookshots for most of the others and another powder keg to be taken with him.  
"Definitely signs for an invasion considering the weaponry here…" Darunia said, handing the weapons that the others could take or need to the others along the way, just as Ruto brought another screw-stilted platform down to the level the group could climb on to reach the higher area.  
"And we're pretty much putting a stop to it… at least in this part." Impa said.  
"That's right and I am certain that we will reach the other areas soon enough to cleanse them from the evil that has infested it." Rauru said.  
Darunia used the powder keg on the barrier that had a prisoner inside it, which turned out to be another Goron, causing him to blink and wake up at this, seeing Darunia.  
"D… Darunia!" He said, blinking.  
"Yep, you're free to go, my friend." Darunia said with a smile.  
"Thank you. I have some information before I go; there is one being here which looks like a Stalfos, but looks taller and is much stronger than the average Stalfos. On top of that, he commands a legion of Stalfos himself." The Goron said.  
"So the Stalfos have someone higher in rank among them too?" Darunia asked.  
"Yes. He takes orders directly from Ganondorf and Majora." The Goron said.  
"I see, so he could be quite troublesome then." He said.  
"Indeed. You need someone of equal strength to take him on properly." The Goron said, before he left.  
Darunia nodded, before waving him good-bye and moving towards where the others were, discovering another Powder Keg inside a tent, using it to destroy the barrier which allows the group to proceed.  
"What's with all the Powder kegs here?" Zelda asked.  
"They could be used to demolish city walls so the enemy can flock in from directions other than the main gates or something." Link said.  
"True, couple that with the power that these Powder Kegs are stronger than regular bombs…" Darunia said as the group moved on through a cavern and upon exit arrived at a smaller set of waterfalls and another small brook moving over the bottom.  
"Well, at least a change of scenery…" Ruto said.  
"Yeah, is this still even part of the forest?" Nabooru asked.  
"It sure is, but this is definitely unknown territory." Link said as the group made their way across the brook area to reach another higher ground which had another cage on it, which Zelda broke open, freeing a Zora!  
"What the-?! What are you doing all the way out here?!" Princess Ruto asked the Zora.  
"Ah, your Highness, am I glad to see you here. I was one of the soldiers whom participated in the initial battle to defend Hyrule from the invading evil forces, but had to make my escape once the battle was turning against us. I managed to divert troops away from the Zora River and the forest by leading my pursuers to Lake Hylia and managed to best several of them before I was captured and taken here." The Zora replied.  
Princess Ruto nodded in understanding.  
"Is there anything you have noticed around here?" Zelda then asked.  
"Yes. There are platforms that have to be lowered like bridges in order to cross this area towards another enemy camp at the far side of the area, its entrance located on a high floor. Should you fall down here into the small brook, a ladder will allow you to climb back up here so you can try it again. But be careful; some of the enemies may be stronger than before." He said.  
"We'll keep an eye out, but thanks for the heads up." Zelda said.  
"You're relieved of your duties in order to find a place to hide or otherwise make your way back to our domain if you deem it necessary. You've served well, but now is not the time to stay here. Things are about to go down big time and we will see to it that this entire encampment will be liberated from enemy forces. You can even choose to rally whoever you can find on surviving soldiers and take them here if you so desire." Princess Ruto said.  
"As you wish, my Princess. Your wish is my command." The Zora said, bowing to the princess before moving off.

Seeing several switches at a distance, Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto went to strike them from a distance in order to lower the bridges so everyone could cross the upper part of the new brook area safely. After crossing the area itself to enter the encampment made by more troops, they indeed encountered more Stalfos, as well as several Wolfos and a few Big Skulltulas along the way. Zelda easily shot down the Skulltulas using her bow, Ruto and Saria dealt with the Wolfos after Link instructed them to strike at their back with the tails as it was the Wolfos' most vulnerable spot. Link, Nabooru, Darunia, Impa and Rauru on their turn kept the Stalfos at bay, defeating them quicker than their last encounters. The Gilded Master Sword that Link had in his possession, coupled with Darunia's newfound strength in abilities helped big time in this, as soon the initial enemies were defeated, only for two more Dinolfos and one Lizalfos to appear in the camp after a doorway to a different prison area opened up, the Dinolfos having acted as guards for the prisoner, whom was a Hylian Soldier whom was captured during the evacuation of Kakariko Village.  
"Thank you for saving me, Your Highness." The Soldier said, bowing before saluting.  
"At ease, soldier. How did you get here?" Zelda asked.  
"When Death Mountain erupted and both Kakariko Village and Goron City in danger of being overrun by the lava, I saw to it that I bought as much time for the civilians to escape to safer areas as I could. I've managed to defeat several of those lizard creatures before a Stalfos knocked me out and captured me." He said.  
Zelda nodded, concluding that the soldiers within the Hyrulean Army had indeed fought with honor.  
"I have to tell you this; I have seen a Stalfos whom appears to be in a higher level of command than the normal Stalfos entering the building to the right from here, past the campfire and straight behind the barrier that's currently blocking it. Apparently he is on an inspection tour of some sort, checking the troops and see if everything is ready for any subsequent attack launched from their outposts into the Forest areas and Termina." The Soldier said.  
Link and Zelda turned to each other.  
"Looks like Ganondorf and Majora are putting some more organization into their troops than I thought." Link said.  
"I agree. Look, we'll take care of things here. You better make sure you get out of here and see if you can find any survivors. There may be captured children around here too, so free them in any way you can." Zelda said.  
"I won't disappoint you, your Highness." The soldier said before leaving, while Darunia used another Powder Keg to blow the barrier away, presenting the group with a small area that had a block at one side of the area, with the entrance to the building the soldier talked about on the other side.  
Link, Saria and Zelda worked together to push the block into its proper place so the group as a whole could climb onto it and enter the building. Climbing over the crates along the way, the group proceeded onwards.  
"Things won't be easy anymore now that we know of the presence of this Stalfos Commander…" Saria said.  
"Indeed, but I feel certain that we will overcome him too. It will serve as a major blow to Ganondorf and Majora as a whole." Darunia said as the group moved into a long hallway.


	24. Chapter 24: Into The Arena

_Chapter 24: Into The Arena_

After passing through the hallway, the group stopped as they saw a single round room up ahead. Inside the room itself stood a Club Moblin, while Link could very faintly see a Floormaster patrolling in the hallway behind the gate that was currently closed up, which the Club Moblin was apparently guarding. A door then closed behind the group, effectively locking them in the area in the process.  
"Drat, we're locked in!" Ruto said.  
"Then our only choice is to move on and defeat the enemies ahead." Nabooru said.  
"The Club Moblin can best be taken out from a distance so its club won't become a hinder to us." Link said, striking the Club Moblin with an arrow, hurting it.  
Saria and Zelda both took turns in striking the Club Moblin as well, with Saria eventually finishing it with her Deku seeds and Fairy Slingshot, the Club Moblin collapsing before disintegrating in sheets of green flames. However, the gate ahead remained locked, even as the group went into the main room.  
"Aw, geez..." Ruto said, looking around.  
"There's multiple eye switches around, all in the same, silver color..." Nabooru then said.  
"Some of them even are covered in ice." Zelda said.  
"We'll deal with those switches soon; first we need to lure the Floormaster to the gate and take it out before it can become quite a bother to us." Link said, moving to the gate and, as he predicted, the Floormaster colored green and tried to charge at the group, only to stop due to the gate being in the way.  
This in turn gave the group the opportunity to take out the severed, demonic, reanimated hand out properly, including its smaller versions once it split after its initial defeat. Once the tiny Floormasters had been taken out, it gave the group the time to carefully study the Eye Switches and see which one would open the gate ahead so they could proceed into the area and hopefully find a way out as well. Saria tried it first by shooting the eye switch above the entrance to the hallway they just came from. It didn't open the gate, but it did open a shaft on the floor which contained yet another Powder Keg and a bunch of Rupees which the group took.  
"Well, at least it's something." Saria commented as she waited to see what would happen now as Zelda took aim with a Fire Arrow on one of the ice covered eye-switches.  
Zelda fired the Fire Arrow and struck the switch, only for it to disintegrate in flames. Almost immediately Link heard the unmistakable eerie sound of something coming from above and spotting Zelda's shadow growing.  
"ZELDA, LOOK OUT! WALLMASTER INCOMING!" He shouted, to which Zelda responded by jumping to the side, causing the incoming Wallmaster to miss its intended target, only to be slain by Nabooru.  
"These traps are getting quite annoying." Saria said as it was now Link's turn to take aim, also gunning for an Iced Eye Switch, striking it, but like with Zelda's it disintegrated and another Wallmaster made its presence known, this time aiming for Link. Thankfully Link already clocked it and jumped aside to make the second Wallmaster miss its goal, before Rauru stepped in and used a Light Sphere to strike and kill the Wallmaster in response.  
"Well, one more switch to go." Link said, letting Zelda have another shot at it.  
This time the switch was the correct one as it closed up and opened the gate in response. Moving on, the group then encountered a Beamos, which was soon disabled after Link threw a bomb at it, leaving the group alone with several small chests around the area.

After opening the chests to take the ammunition and the rupees they respectively contained along with them, Link and the Sages went further into the new hallway, only to find that they exited the building, finding themselves face to face with another Bomb Soldier who promptly retreated behind a large gate, while a small group of Bow and Arrow Soldiers went in to charge at the group, whom used their shields to deflect the arrows shot at them, before disabling those soldiers with arrows in kind. Darunia used the Powder Keg he found to demolish a barrier which had another small chest containing some Bombchus behind it, other than that nothing out of specific interest. Bringing another screw-stilted platform down, Ruto then led most of the group towards a small alcove that allowed Link, Saria, Zelda, Nabooru and herself to move into the area behind the gate using their respective Hookshots, but before they could open the gate itself, they already came under attack by another contingent of Sword Soldiers whom charged at them. Thankfully the group saw them coming and the Sword Soldiers were soon defeated, but then the Bomb Soldier made himself known, attacking the group from a higher platform. Changing tactics however, Saria constricted the Bomb Soldier using vines she let climb up on the platform, allowing Link and Zelda to finish it off using their arrows, while Ruto used her Boomerang to break another cage, freeing another Deku in the process, while Nabooru found and activated the switch needed to open the gate so Rauru, Darunia and Impa could rejoin them.

Ganondorf was walking through his newly created tower to oversee the units guarding it when a Garo appeared in front of him.  
"Report." Ganondorf said.  
"Master, our outpost in the forest is under attack." The Garo said.  
"What?!"  
"A group of eight people have entered the outpost in the forest, freed several of the prisoners and slaughtered several of our units there."  
"Eight people, you say?"  
"Yes. It were those three Sages you sought, coupled with five others. They have been identified as the ones you killed, but they are with them alive and well." The Garo replied.  
"GODDESSES DAMMIT! Those five have been resurrected RIGHT under our noses! What about the Gerudo that were supposedly under our control?"  
"The brainwashed ones have been freed and are holding those who willingly went with your cause imprisoned in kind."  
"Alright, that's it. Have Dark Link, Dark Zelda and the Stalfos Commander informed about this pronto and tell them to do whatever they can to stop them! I will NOT have those meddling kids and their adult companions interfere with my rule! Do as I say or I will have YOUR head!" Ganondorf snapped.  
"As you wish, Master." The Garo said before he vanished.  
In utter frustration, Ganondorf hit a nearby wall, just as Majora came in the room.  
"Bad news?" He asked.  
"Yes. It appears that those five we killed several days ago at that tower have been restored to life!" Ganondorf snapped.  
"WHAT?! That's impossible!" Majora said.  
"Apparently not, perhaps those five have fallen in good graces from the Goddesses themselves. Well, I'm not letting them get away with this that easily!"  
"What are your plans?"  
"Have Dark Link, Dark Zelda and the Stalfos Commander gather at the arena which is further down in the Forest Outpost and await the arrival of the group. Then they will show them hell!" Ganondorf said.  
"I saw a Garo Robe leaving, is he going to do that for us?"  
"Yes, otherwise either of us could go to do just that, showing those pests who is in charge of this planet." Ganondorf said, seeing Majora looking concerned about the current time-lapse of events that have occurred in the past several days.

The Deku which was freed by Ruto thanked the group and showed them a path towards the entrance of the building of which they were now in what appeared to look like its courtyard, with the structures around them while still being in the open.  
"Well, looks like this could be the big one." Link said as Saria and Ruto worked together to create vines strong enough to climb on towards the higher platform.  
"Indeed. I hope whatever we find there will be useful to us." Zelda said.  
Once the vines were ready, the group climbed on them towards the higher level, entering the building itself.  
"Wow, they sure aren't kidding with the preparations here." Saria said.  
"All the more reasons we have to put a stop to them." Impa said as the group moved on, seeing a group of crates stacked in a way similar of a staircase.  
Disabling a group of Dinolfos whom were guarding the crates, the group went on its way to climb their way up towards a ladder, which in turn took them to a ventilation shaft big enough for an adult to walk in upright, leading to a room where more Stalfos were waiting for them, poised to attack.  
"Is it a shame to say that I enjoy taking these boneheads down?" Link asked the Sages while drawing his sword.  
Zelda giggled.  
"We enjoy it as much as you do, as long as we end up victorious here." Zelda said, smiling.  
"True." Link said as the group went to engage the Stalfos present.  
The Stalfos were valiant skeletal warriors, but they didn't stand a chance against the onslaught that Link and the Sages unleashed on them, mainly to show Ganondorf and Majora who's boss. However, after the Stalfos were defeated, the group found themselves almost locked in; that is to say, a barrier was blocking their way, but this time Darunia had no powder keg with him.  
"Alright, now what?" Darunia asked, just as Nabooru climbed a ladder to a higher platform, before she went to cross the net that was hanging just below the ceiling area, reaching a platform that contained a switch that she spotted.  
Out of curiosity, Link and Zelda followed Nabooru, who on their turn were followed by Saria and Ruto, just as Nabooru got her hands on the switch and began to pull on it, but it proved to be quite heavy as she had difficulties with pulling on it. Link and Zelda also got their hands on it to aid Nabooru, right before Saria and Ruto helped as well, the five managing to activate the switch which opened a valve on the floor, leading to a ground area with another cage. This time Darunia went down to open the cage, while the others decided to wait for him. The cage contained another Goron, who gave Darunia a Powder Keg he had been keeping safe in gratitude.  
"Thanks for saving me. This should help you in freeing my brothers on the higher levels." The Goron said, before the gate leading towards the crate-stairway opened, allowing Darunia to make his way back up again, destroying another barrier with another cage behind it along the way. This cage also contained a Goron who also gave him a powder keg in gratitude, before making his way out towards safety. Spotting another barrier on the level close to what was presumed to be the ventilation shaft to where the others were, Darunia again used the powder keg to blow the barrier to smithereens and freed another Goron, who gave him yet another powder keg.  
"These things must really be popular…" Darunia commented.  
The Goron nodded.  
"I've heard rumors that a cargo of these bombs was stolen while underway to a delivery, the Gorons transporting it being captured in the process. Ever since the Powder Kegs have been stored in this area to be used in any planned invasions to wipe out multiple targets at once." The Goron said.  
"So the enemy knows about the power of these things… as if they weren't be a bother enough already!" Darunia said with an annoyed grunt.  
"Indeed. One of my brothers is still held here. He has the last keg that you need to exit this building and be able to exit the area." The Goron said before he left after Darunia nodded, with Darunia taking the powder keg given to him to where the others were, who in turn kept their distance as Darunia blasted another barrier away with the keg, freeing the last Goron imprisoned there who in turn gave him indeed the last keg.  
"Be warned, the Stalfos Commander is close by. You'll be in trouble if he knows where you are." The Goron said.  
"Don't worry, we'll take care of him soon." Darunia said, feeling confident before the Goron left.

Once rejoining the others and using the last powder keg with a timed throw to blast the last barrier away, allowing the group to proceed into the next hallway and exiting the building as a whole, arriving in an open field.  
"Well, we're still in the forest area, but I do not recognize that building over there…" Saria said, looking ahead, while Link spotted a lone Iron Knuckle sitting on its throne against the wall.  
"Hmmm, perhaps it could be something similar to what we saw in the land beyond the Woods of Mystery?" Zelda asked.  
"Possibly, but it could be very well a different looking one." Saria replied.  
"True."  
"Another Iron Knuckle… something's amiss here if he's the only one around here…" Link said as the others clocked him too.  
"Let's take him out before he takes us out and stay clear of that axe of his." Nabooru said, nodding as the others were ready.  
First the group sent either Bombs or Bombchus at the Iron Knuckle to wake him up and make him go after the group. After about an onslaught of about 10 Bombs/Bombchus or so, the Iron Knuckle lost part of its armor and went to charge at the group, only for Link, Saria and Zelda to pelt it with arrows and Deku Seeds respectively, taking it out from a distance more effectively without in danger of being hit. Eventually the Iron Knuckle was defeated and collapsed, its armor disintegrating into nothingness, revealing another Gerudo who was freed from mind control! Nabooru blinked at this as the confused Gerudo looked around.  
"Huh?! What? What's going on?! Why am I here?" The Gerudo asked as the group came to tend to her, sheathing their weapons along the way.  
"Relax, you're free now." Nabooru said, comforting her fellow kin as she knelt down next to her.  
"Dear Goddesses, did you come here to save me?" The Gerudo then asked.  
"That we did." Link said, nodding.  
The Gerudo sighed of relief, before shaking all over.  
"What's the matter?" Nabooru asked.  
"The Stalfos Commander is present… here in this area… he is waiting for you down below…" She said, shuddering as the realization came into her mind.  
"Don't worry, we'll take care of him." Nabooru said as the group leapt down one of the holes in the ground which all came together in a single hallway, which led to what appeared to be set up in the style of an arena or coliseum.

Link and Zelda blinked as they saw the arena-styled room and cautiously entered it first together, the Sages looking around a bit more before following. However, as soon as Link and Zelda both entered the arena first, a set of bars suddenly shot up from behind them, locking them into the arena and separating the Six Sages from them. Another set of bars came down from behind the Sages, locking them in and preventing them from so much as moving properly. Link and Zelda turned around, gasping as she saw the Sages trapped like that.  
"What's going on?!" Link asked.  
"So… the young boy and the princess have appeared…" A crackling voice then addressed the two from behind the large gate.  
"What the-?! Who are you?!" Zelda asked, while Link instantly brought his sword and shield to bear, instinctively moving closer to Zelda.  
"My name is of more importance. What I simply look for is your deaths…" The voice replied.  
"Hmph, that's not the first time we heard something like that…" Link rebuked.  
"A cheeky one, eh? Well, we'll fix that soon enough." The voice said.  
"What do you mean 'we'?" Zelda demanded.  
It was then that two dark figures appeared in the arena, both of them taking the shape… of Link and Zelda themselves. Link blinked at this, but realized he had fought his dark self once in the Illusion Room of the Water Temple, which in turn caused his brain to instantly switch into action mode, his Sword and Shield ready. Zelda on the other hand was horrified at this.  
"What… what is this?" She asked, while the Sages on their turn blinked as well.  
"You like it? These clones were made from the blood of you which was collected from the tower where you initially met your demise. We did not expect you to get resurrected so soon, so we had to change our initial plan accordingly… let's see if the both of you survive against those made from your own blood…" The crackling voice said with a cackle.  
Link growled and was ready to engage his dark self, while Zelda regained her composure and stood next to Link.  
"You ready?" Link asked.  
"I am." Zelda said.  
"Good, we'll focus on each other's counterparts, perhaps we can find a way to best ourselves in a way through this." He said.  
"Right." Zelda said as she too grabbed her blade, before the fight began.

The Sages watched as Link and Zelda both engaged their dark selves, with Dark Zelda using her magic to force Zelda into a round of Dead Man's Volley, while Dark Link and Link himself were engaged in a serious sword fight. Link did his best to block the furious strikes of his Dark self, while trying to find an opening to strike back at him while watching his movements closely. Zelda managed to stun Dark Zelda with her own magic attack, allowing Zelda to get in close and deal damage to her. On his turn, Link managed to break through Dark Link's own defenses, using his Gilded Master Sword to slice away on him, while at times using his shield as a battering ram to knock him silly before striking. It appeared to the Sages that Link was adapting himself in battle, finding new tricks to overcome his dark self, while Zelda showed a similar valor, now that she was playing the same 'game' Link was forced to play during his fights against Phantom Ganon and Ganondorf respectively in the Future That Almost Was. At one point, Link himself hopped upward to avoid the thrusting of Dark Link's sword to stab him, before landing on the sword himself. Dark Link looked shocked at Link pulling this off.  
"Yeah, not so fun now that someone is using your trick against you, huh? You did this to me in the Water Temple before. Now it's MY turn! BEGONE!" Link snapped before promptly kicking Dark Link in the face, sending the dark copy reeling backwards, landing on his back on the ground and dropping his sword and shield in return.  
At the same time, Dark Zelda howled in agony as Zelda once again managed to stun her with her own magic attack, before striking at her with her own blade, seemingly defeating Dark Zelda in a similar way. During this moment of reprieve, both Link and Zelda wiped some blood away from their mouths, showing that they didn't come unharmed out of this battle either, but unlike their dark counterparts, both of them were still standing and ready to fight on. It was as if Link's courageous spirit has affected Zelda and given her the same drive to fight against evil and do what they believe is right.  
"You impudent fools…" Dark Link then said, getting up.  
"… you may have won this battle, but if you think you've seen the last of us…" Dark Zelda snapped, also getting up.  
"… then you are sadly mistaken!"  
Both Dark Link and Dark Zelda then vanished in a gust of black smoke, at which the gates opened to allow the Six Sages to move towards their friends to support them. But their rest was short-lived…  
"Impressive… you managed to beat your dark selves at their own game… it appears you have improved a lot over the time you last fought." The crackling voice said after the group got together.  
The group then heard the creaking sound of something opening. Turning to the gate, they saw that the two giant doors of it began to open inward, revealing a HORDE of Stalfos… and among them was the Stalfos Commander! Now, the Stalfos Commander looked way different from his legion. While it too was a reanimated skeleton, the major difference was that it sported a different kind of armor and appeared taller than the regular Stalfos, wielding TWO swords instead of a Sword and Shield! Link immediately went in a battle stance, gulping a bit as he was somewhat nervous. This was immediately tempered by Darunia laying a hand on his shoulder.  
"Brother, you've done well in fighting your dark self, the same counts for Zelda. This time, we're here to assist." Darunia said.  
"Thanks, Darunia." Link said, as the Sages also got in a battle stance, ready for what would become a massive fight against the Undead Skeleton Warriors.

As the fight began, the group made short work of the Stalfos that became too much of a nuisance; Darunia's massive Goron Pounds were extremely helpful in knocking the Stalfos aside, allowing the others to get some reprieve and strike back. Rauru used his Light-based magic to smite the damaged Stalfos into oblivion, the affected targets disintegrating right away, while Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru and Impa clashed blades with the remaining Stalfos while at the same time defending against the Stalfos Commander. This was practically no organized battle, but more in a team-based free for all, with the Stalfos attacking everyone except each other, while Link and the Sages did the same. Saria on her turn resorted on occasion to summoning vines from the ground to ensnare several Stalfos, allowing Link, Zelda and Nabooru to cut them up. Ruto on the other hand used a water-type shockwave spell that left her friends untouched, but was very effective at knocking several Stalfos aside as well as damaging the Stalfos Commander. Impa used her Shadow-based spells to confuse the Stalfos as well as striking them from behind, while Link occasionally used a Deku Nut to stun several other Stalfos coming his way. This went on until only a few Stalfos were left, allowing Link and Zelda to focus on the Commander, who charged at the both of them. Thankfully, their shields proved resilient against the Commander's attacks, before Link and Zelda both managed to deliver some serious strikes in themselves, right before the Six Sages joined in along with them, eventually knocking the Stalfos Commander against a wall. Then the Stalfos Commander got up…  
"My, my… it appears I have underestimated your combat skills. It's as if you're literally driven by the desire to end this. Very well, let me not disappoint you any further… although it will be the end of YOU!" The Stalfos Commander said, as he suddenly revealed two ADDITIONAL arms, one wielding a sword and the other wielding a battle axe!  
"What the-?!" Impa said, blinking as the others gasped or blinked at this.  
The Stalfos Commander made use of this momentum by instantly charging at the group with ALL FOUR of his arms forward, smacking the group aside like bowling pins and delivering some injuries along the way.

Landing hard on the ground and skidding along for a few meters , Link grunted as he eventually came to a stop, nursing the shield arm which got slashed during the sudden attack. Nevertheless he got up and regained his composure, readjusting his sword and shield and ignoring the bleeding cut on his arm.  
"Congratulations, bonehead, you wanted me angry?! I'M ANGRY!" Link snarled, actually being angry, while at the same time being unaware of a dark force beginning to feed on the anger that Link was emitting.  
"HA! Be angry all you want, you little pest; once I'm through with you, I'll take your corpse and those of your friends with me to Lord Ganondorf so he can take your powers for himself!" The Stalfos Commander cackled.  
"We'll see about that, bonehead!" Zelda said as she got up, before ripping the lower part of her dress off to give her legs some more space to move in and preventing from tripping over them.  
Like Link, Zelda too was angry… and the Six Sages were no better off either, grabbing their weapons once again and getting ready to strike back.  
"Fine, don't be surprised when I take pleasure in chopping your heads off!" The Stalfos Commander said, raising his four arms as he got ready to attack.


	25. Chapter 25: Link's Breakdown

_Chapter 25: Link's Breakdown_

The battle resumed as Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Impa, Darunia and Rauru each charged at the now four-armed Stalfos Commander, who looked agitated as he was now being attacked from all sides, but nonetheless more ready to defend and strike back, wielding his weapons and making gestures to the group as to bring it on! The group first attacked en masse to keep the Commander occupied, trying to find an opening which they could use to their advantage to strike hard. The Stalfos Commander was reacting very aggressively, forcing the group to duck underneath its swings to prevent being decapitated on the spot, although they couldn't prevent being smacked aside in turn or otherwise receiving cuts still, although they did manage to deliver damage of their own, succeeding in breaking parts of the Commander's ribcage along the way as they continued to attack. However, a combined attack from Link and Zelda managed to knock the Commander's helmet off, revealing a third eye as it apparently was getting too much damage. With a crackling howl, the Stalfos Commander promptly summoned another horde of regular Stalfos to assist him in his struggle, effectively making things harder for the group.  
"DARN YOU!" Link shouted as he was now once more fighting for his life as well as that of saving the others in kind, cutting several of the regular Stalfos in two as he went on.  
"I'll keep these Stalfos occupied as best as I can! Go for the Commander!" Darunia said as he unleashed one Goron Pound after the other, at times substituted by an onslaught of furious Goron Fire Punches, each having the force of the legendary Megaton Hammer.  
Of course, the Stalfos Commander was having none of it and fought back to aid its comrades while attempting to put an end to those who opposed Ganondorf and Majora's rule. Still, the Sages were still a force to be reckoned with as Rauru's Light Magic hit its mark most of the time, Saria's vines were very helpful in restricting some of the Stalfos, Ruto's Water Spout blasted several Stalfos in the air, Darunia's Fire punches knocked some of the skulls off of some of them in turn, Impa used her shadow to capture some Stalfos to clobber them with her blade and Nabooru made frequent use of her Sword Spark to blast some of the Stalfos back, while Link and Zelda double-teamed the Stalfos Commander.

Ganondorf looked up as he saw the wounded Dark Link and Dark Zelda come in, supporting each other.  
"I take it that those two bested you somehow?" Ganondorf asked.  
"Yes, my Lord. We did manage to inflict damage, but they got the better of us somehow…" Dark Link said.  
"We can confirm that they are very much alive and more battle-hardened than ever before." Dark Zelda added.  
"Hmmm…" Ganondorf said, obviously thinking.  
Both Dark Link and Dark Zelda grunted as their wounds were beginning to take their toll on them.  
"You two are lucky that I still have some use for you, so I will not banish you to the gap between dimensions… yet. However I do want to see some results next time! Get yourselves patched up, I'll be making sure you'll get some company soon." Ganondorf then said, before leaving to where Majora was.  
Both Dark Link and Dark Zelda watched him leave, sighing of relief, before moving to where they had their room to patch up their wounds.

The fight in the arena had become even more brutal than before. Where Link and the Sages first had the advantage, they were now having serious trouble as a group of Stalfos had joined the fray, turning the initial battle into a fight for survival. Sure enough, Darunia was smacked against the wall opposite of the entrance to the arena, with Rauru and Impa being callously tossed beside him, while Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru were smacked among some rubble in that same direction, the entire group having difficulties to get up.  
"I must say that I am impressed; I didn't expect you to hold out for so long…" The Stalfos Commander said, watching the group, "however, this is where it ends. Take comfort in the fact that you'll at least die together, considering the way you have been co-operating in this fight so well… say good-bye!" The Commander said, getting ready to charge in for the final attack and end the opposition to Ganondorf and Majora's rule once and for all.  
Suddenly, something else happened... Link's rage and despair had reached a boiling point, when suddenly something began to float up from his pocket... it was the Fierce Deity's Mask! It moved on towards Link's face and latched onto it... the instant this happened, Link suddenly screamed in agony as he began to transform; breaking free from the rubble he laid under as a white flash covered him. Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru all winced or recoiled in horror as they could hear Link's bones snap and readjust themselves as the magic and the power from the mask overtook the young boy's body, making it grow to adult-sized proportions in a matter of seconds. His regular equipment was either dropped, vanished from sight or relocated and his sword began to reshape and twist itself while growing in length until it was about half to two-thirds of Link's length as the Fierce Deity itself, its blade twisted to form the shape of a double helix. But this wasn't what shocked the Sages the most… it was the sight of Link's face, as his eyes turned completely white and void of pupils and irises, while below his eyes, on his cheeks and on his forehead appeared to be facial markings in red and blue, as if he became a warrior from a different or even ancient tribe of its own! The Stalfos Commander also looked on in shock as the transformation took place, seeing the young boy becoming a man. A sudden flash emanating from Link blinded everyone in sight as the transformation completed.

As Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Impa, Darunia and Rauru could look again, they were horrified to see what has happened to Link. He now had white hair, facial markings, a light blue tunic underneath a metal cuirass, metallic gauntlet, black leggings, white eyes without pupils and a very large size in height and width (standing two heads taller than a normal adult Hylian) and held a large, double-handed helix-edged sword, which by itself could inflict MASSIVE damage by the mere size alone, coupled with the power that was flowing through it! It was as if Link had become a completely different person altogether… and he was BEYOND pissed, giving a glare of absolute death to the Stalfos Commander. The resident Stalfos troops also stood still, wondering what was going on as none of them made a move yet… Saria and Zelda both gasped as they saw Link baring his teeth during a rather low, menacing growl… they could have sworn to see his canines having turned into fangs, which only added to his rather frightful and intimidating appearance.

Majora was taking his time in torturing a young couple by turning them into two Deku and was prepared to set them on fire, when he suddenly froze in utter fear as he detected the sudden change in energy. This caused Ganondorf, who was watching this, to frown to see Majora being petrified with fear!  
"No! It... it can't be!" Majora then exclaimed, ignoring the two Deku succeeding in fleeing from him as he was fixated on something.  
"What is it?" Ganondorf asked.  
"He's here... I can feel its presence!" Majora said, his body shivering all over.  
"Of who?!"  
"The Oni, Ganondorf, the Oni who has been responsible for my demise back in Termina!" Majora exclaimed.  
Ganondorf decided to sense the energy that petrified Majora in this state.  
_'Well, this is different! I can definitely tell that someone had an increase in power, but of such a magnitude is indeed unsettling… I wonder who… wait…'_ Ganondorf thought as he began to put two and two together.  
"Majora, you said you were being defeated by Link, right?!" Ganondorf then demanded.  
"He… he was… but he was wearing that mask!" Majora said.  
"What?!"  
"That mask was given to him… so we could play… but I never thought… he would use it to end me!"  
"Majora, you imbecile! How could you do something so stupid?! Now we need to put more work in to counter this threat because of you! Get to work on making our forces stronger, pronto!" Ganondorf then barked.  
"But…"  
"Must I repeat myself, Majora? Giving that mask with such a power to someone like HIM was clearly a mistake on your part! See to it that you have the guts to rectify that mistake at all costs!" Ganondorf snapped, before leaving the room.  
Majora trembled for another second or two, before uttering an inhuman shriek of frustration, which only Ganondorf ignored as he walked back to his central throne room at the top of his new tower.

"What the-?! What is this?!" The Stalfos Commander asked, as he then sicced his remaining lackeys onto the Fierce Deity Link... only to watch as Fierce Deity Link swung his Double Helix Blade with tremendous force, decapitating the Stalfos who were too close instantly while those who were further off were struck with the crescent shaped sword beams that the sword emanated, causing the Stalfos to writhe in pain as the sheer power of it rocked their bones and made them drop their weapons, causing the Sages to stare at the Fierce Deity in shock, Saria and Zelda even holding each other out of pure fright. Nabooru and Impa on the other hand had a jaw drop as they saw Link slaying those Stalfos like they were nothing and Ruto found herself taking a few steps back out of fear.  
"By the Goddesses, he's huge!" Ruto exclaimed, now intimidated by his appearance...  
"Oh my…" Zelda said.  
"What happened to you, Link?!" Saria exclaimed in fear.  
"He's like a ferocious god!" Impa exclaimed.  
"Where did Brother gain such power?!" Darunia asked.  
Rauru narrowed his eyes.  
"I can see Link struggling to maintain control of himself! Now I see why he wants that mask purified." He said.  
Saria and Zelda were both speechless and also could sense the struggle that Link was in. It was only fortunate that Link was focused onto his target: The Stalfos Commander.  
"This is intolerable! ATTACK!" The Stalfos Commander said, sending what remained of his minions and those who recovered from the Sword Beam assault began to strike at Fierce Deity and the shocked Sages in kind.  
Fierce Deity Link however was having none of it and was ready.  
"Oh no you don't!" He said as he swung his sword to and fro, creating sword beams that stunned/damaged the Stalfos troops while also slashing the closest ones apart with his massive blade, the Sages assisting him as they recovered from their initial shock.  
Where once the Stalfos Battle Force was superior in numbers, they were now having their bones kicked by a rejuvenated and more powerful Link, whom went completely postal on them, buying the Sages time to recover. Fragments of the Stalfos' bones were callously tossed left and right as Fierce Deity Link rampaged across their ranks like someone whom got lost in his rage and the desire to kill! Within a matter of minutes, all of the Stalfos except for the Commander itself was completely wiped out, leaving the Commander to make a last stand in the hopes of still capturing or killing the group, although he was fighting a rapidly losing battle, despite the Commander having four arms which he utilized with great valor to no avail. Fierce Deity Link first cut the Stalfos Commander's weapons in two, before sending several Sword Beams to the Commander himself, hitting him HARD as well as severing its four arms in kind and sending him backwards, tumbling onto the ground as it rolled over onto its ribcage, while Fierce Deity Link rushed over to it, setting a foot on its spinal column.  
"I have warned you, bonehead! I've TOLD YOU that you have messed with the wrong people, that I wouldn't take kindly to you attacking my friends, but you wouldn't listen! Now it's time for you to pay the penalty! DIE!" Fierce Deity Link said as he then plunged his double-handed helix-edged sword into the Commander's back, cutting its spinal column in two!  
A crackled outcry of pain was heard as the Commander's lower body was being severed from the upper body.  
"Let this be a lesson to you bonehead, THIS is what will happen if you mess with me or my friends. As for your leaders Ganondorf and Majora, they will get their dues soon enough. I haven't forgotten what they've done to my homeland, my friends and myself and I will make them PAY for what they've done!" He growled.  
"ACK! You… you haven't seen the last of me!" The Stalfos Commander said.  
"DO NOT WASTE YOUR BREATH," Fierce Deity Link snarled, "no matter HOW numerous you are, I and my friends will take you all on! You will see what will happens when Evil decides to ruin the lives of those who want to live in peace and spend time with their loved ones! But whatever happens, YOU will not live long enough to see it! HYA!"  
And with that, Fierce Deity Link decapitated the Stalfos Commander with his blade, before everything went silent for a moment, nobody making a move as the remains of the Stalfos Commander disintegrated into nothingness, leaving the entire group alone inside the arena. Then, the Fierce Deity got a hold of his face, followed by another bright light that blinded the Sages once again for a second or two, before it vanished again. As they could look again, they saw Link tossing the mask to the far side of the arena… or at least out of his grasp, as the young man collapsed on hands and knees, not moving an inch… but he appeared to be shaking and trembling all over… as if he was afraid… but afraid of what? Afraid of himself? Afraid to face them now? Afraid of the mask? These questions rang through the Sages' heads. But then Saria and Zelda picked up something else… it appeared to be someone sniffing… and was that whimpering that they could hear? Worry and concern overriding their minds, Saria and Zelda both walked towards the trembling Link, with both Princess Ruto and Nabooru following, although keeping their distance warily…

To say that Link was in an emotional turmoil was a major understatement. He had hoped to never use it, but now that accursed Fierce Deity Mask was now exposed, as if the dark spirit within gave the mask almost a will of its own and took control of Link, much like how Majora's Mask was able to take control of the Skullkid. But where the Skullkid was weak and helpless to resist, Link's own force of will, courage and determination allowed him to remove the mask on his own accord, thus not becoming a puppet like the Skullkid had been. Still, Link was scared, sad, frightened, upset and outraged altogether… how could he face his friends after showing off the power of that Mask right in front of them while he was explicitly refraining from using it until it was purified? Why did it have to show up now and take control of him like that? What would the Sages even think of him now? Was he still worthy of being their Hero now that they had witnessed this? These were questions that rang through his mind as he was shaking all over, the mere thought of being rejected because of something that was out of his control made him sick to his stomach. It was then that he felt two hands landing gently on his shoulders. Looking up, he saw Saria and Zelda kneeling down in front of him… and was that concern on their faces?  
"Link, are you okay?" Saria asked in a sweet yet genuinely concerned voice.  
"Yeah, are you alright?" Zelda asked.  
The sight of two of his best friends looking with great concern and worry on their faces, coupled with those two very questions, finally overloaded Link's mind and triggered a reaction that NONE of the Sages saw coming. Out of reaction, he suddenly grabbed the one sitting the closest to him, which was Saria, holding her close to him, buried his face on her left shoulder… and then he wept.  
"Why….. WHYYYYYYYYY!" Link wailed in the embrace of his best childhood friend, who looked in absolute shock, before responding by simply holding him close to her, "WHY does this all have to happen to us… why did this have to happen to ME?! I can't take it anymore!"  
"Shhh, it's alright Link, I'm here for you." Saria soothingly said, stroking his back, while at the same time feeling the pain that he was feeling now stabbing into her soul.  
"I'm here for you too, Link… please calm down…" Zelda said, hugging Link on his right side as the young man just threw out everything he had tried to hold back and crop up emotion wise.  
This made the Sages realize that, despite his vigorous, determined and courageous spirit, Link basically had lost his childhood because of all the hardships he had to face ever since the whole affair with Ganondorf went down, followed by his travels in Termina and the ensuing quest to save that land. It was as if Link was forced to grow up quicker than they could have imagined, despite his own genuine efforts to live the life he was supposed to be living and/or catch up from the Future That Almost Was. Impa then watched the Zora Princess Ruto approaching the three, before she then hugged Link's other side, holding him close.  
"There, there… we're here for you… we're your friends… you can confide in us…" She meekly said as she joined in on the hugging and trying to comfort the young, distraught hero.  
"Oh, dear Goddesses… the pain… I can feel your pain…" Nabooru said as she hugged Link and by extension Ruto, Zelda and Saria from behind, kneeling down to make it more comfortable.  
Rauru and Darunia remained firm, but they couldn't help to understand why Link was hurting so bad on the inside. Impa on the other hand sighed in sadness as she approached the group… only to stop as she let out a soft gasp, blinking even. Not because Link himself was currently crying out his sorrows of the recent trauma he experienced as well as those of the past, but she saw that both Saria and Zelda were shedding tears of their own, crying along with Link! She could see that Ruto and Nabooru were crying themselves too as she got closer to the group, but it was certain to her that Link was very close with both Saria and Zelda, seeing that both girls were trying their best to comfort their distraught friend and yet were openly sharing his pain. Seeing the scene itself however even caused Impa herself to shed a tear, sniffing as she mustered the courage to join the group hug, but more in the way of a mother soothing their upset children as she embraced Link on the side where Saria and Zelda had embraced him…  
"It hurts, Saria… it hurts… so bad…" Link wailed as he cried, as if there was no end to his pain.  
"We know, Link… please…" Saria said, whimpering herself as she just held Link as close as she could, wanting to give him release of the torment which was a burden on his soul.  
"We feel your pain… but please…" Zelda said between sobs, worried if there would be an end to his pain…  
"Don't cry, Link! Seeing Link cry makes Ruto sad." Princess Ruto then said, for the first time deeply and genuinely affected by such an emotional outburst, no less by the one she secretly liked so much…  
"It's alright, Link, throw it all out." Nabooru said, before noticing Impa behind Zelda and Saria, with Impa merely nodding in understanding.

For about a few minutes, the group just stayed there in position, trying to comfort each other, but most importantly Link himself, as his pain was apparently too much to be just kept within him. The group seemed to finally understand the level of pain Link was holding within himself, the pain of all the horrors he faces, the losses he suffered, the suffering he had to endure, the crippling or better yet nigh-destruction of his childhood… it was just too much for the young hero to contain as he now bore his soul and threw out his heart to his dearest friends. Saria and Zelda both simply cried along with him in almost the same force as Link was, also feeling the sorrow they had gone through up to the point of where they were now. It pained Saria to see Link admitting to feeling miserable of never being able to see her again in the Future That Almost Was due to her duties as the Forest Sage keeping her bound into the Chamber of the Sages in turn, while Zelda felt she was responsible for the whole situation due to underestimating the power of the legend of the Triforce, although she did her best to make up for it in her attempt to make Link live his childhood out the way it was supposed to be, unaware of what would transpire in the distant land of Termina as well as the events after that up to the present. It was then that, after several minutes, Link gently broke the embrace, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, his crying reducing to sobbing and whimpering, then reducing it more to mere sniffing, before looking Saria in the face, who looked on in wonder and confusion, only to see Link smiling at her as the last of the tears left his eyes.  
"Thank you, Saria, I… I really needed that. I'm sorry if it appeared to be troublesome, but… I… I just couldn't hold it in any longer." Link said, wiping his tears away, before giving her a friendly hug in return.  
"It's no problem at all, Link. You've been through so much that I have wondered how you managed to hold up through all that." Saria said, smiling as she returned the hug, wiping some tears away herself.  
"Thank you too, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru and Impa…" Link then said, hugging each of them in kind.  
"Don't worry about it, kid; we're friends after all and we're here to support each other in any situation, no matter what. That's what friends are for after all." Nabooru said, patting Link gently on the back.  
Ruto smiled as well as she too received a hug, which brought relief to the Zora Princess as well. Impa nodded with a smile, although she couldn't help to notice a faint blush on the faces of Saria, Zelda and Ruto as Link hugged them in gratitude.  
"Are you feeling any better now, Link?" Rauru asked, while Darunia approached them.  
"Yeah, a lot better now. It appears I held in more than I thought." Link said, smiling despite his body still shaking all over.  
"What made you break down like that in the first place?" Impa asked.  
"Well, other than me having been dead before, it's just my fear that the Fierce Deity's Mask would corrupt me as how Majora's Mask corrupted the Skullkid before, the fear of losing everyone I care about… and just plenty of other sorrows that I just wanted out… heck, I even feared that, during my time in the Future That Almost Was, I could never see each of you ever again with the exception of Zelda, considering your duties as Sages and all…" Link said.  
Saria teared up again, hugging Link as it clearly showed that, despite everything, Link put his friends before himself, which made him quite the selfless person. Perhaps his courage and determination to do what he believes is right played a major part in this. Zelda also came to hug Link again, showing that she too cared about him.  
"Hey, there's no shame in letting out your sorrows every once in a while, Brother," Darunia said as he swooped Link, Saria and Zelda up in a brotherly Goron hug, forgetting his strength for a moment, "at times it helps a lot to just let it all out. And among your friends who like and support you, you can expect all the help and comfort that you need or want; that's what friends and brothers are for after all."  
Afterwards however, he felt the three children tapping on his arms and chest…  
"Daruniaaaaaa… AIR!" Link, Saria and Zelda said in unison, being held a bit too tight in the Goron Leader's well-meaning embrace as their faces began to turn a bit bluish.  
Darunia saw what he was doing and released the three, who then proceeded to take in a couple of deep breaths of air before they realized they were no longer being smothered by the Goron Leader's strong, muscled arms.  
"Whoops, a times I forget how strong I still am." Darunia said, which got a laugh out of the whole group, showing that they were indeed feeling better.  
"It's fine, you mean well." Link said.  
"But we now know what the Mask is like and can do regarding power…" Zelda said.  
"Which leads me to my question: How do we purify it?" Saria asked.  
"This can be done in the Chamber of the Sages in the Ruined Temple of Time." Rauru said.  
"Well, I guess we can be on our way then." Impa said, just as Zelda got the Ocarina of Time and played the Song of Healing herself, which affected Link once more positively by relieving him from all the pent up frustrations and torment he had tried to keep for himself, but was unable to.  
Out of gratitude, Link hugged Zelda again, right before giving the princess a soft kiss on her right cheek, which caused her to nearly drop her ocarina out of shock, not expecting this move.  
"Thank you, Zelda. This really means a lot to me." Link said with a genuine smile on his face, being oblivious to the blush that had crept on Zelda's face, before walking on with the others, whom gratefully haven't seen the kiss.  
Smiling herself, Zelda decided to keep that for herself as she regained her composure and joined the rest as they moved on, out of the arena and into what appeared to be a celestial building, supporting each other due to them having temporarily forgotten about the injuries they have suffered during the last few battles. But each of them knew that so far they were still alive, which was what counted the most.


	26. Chapter 26: The Purification

_Chapter 26: The Purification_

Entering another open area with a cavern ahead, Link and the Sages mused that the cavern was also holding the entrance to the building they were heading to. This time there were no enemies nearby to bother them, which in turn brought them some relief as it allowed them to focus on taking it easy, nursing each other's injuries and making plans for their next movements. It was for them as a lot of stress and frustration had been removed from their shoulders, mainly thanks to Link suffering his breakdown which allowed him to throw out everything he had cropped up inside him and in turn would leave him much more focused on whatever the future would bring. Still, it didn't leave out the fact that the Sages witnessed first-hand what kind of power the Fierce Deity's Mask contained and it was of no surprise that Link was just as afraid and reviling of that mask as they were. But why did the group share the unanimous thought of the mask somehow being much more useful after being purified? Was it even possible to purify it in the first place? Would this demonic power affect them as much as it has affected Link? Or would it make them want to have the mask for themselves? These were questions that rang through the minds of the entire group, even Link himself. Link however was certain that Majora would have felt its presence anyhow; after all it was this particular mask that was given to him BY Majora and Link used it to end that crazed lunatic in turn, bringing peace and safety back to Termina. As Link reviewed the events of what has happened to him so far, he couldn't help to think that things would have definitely been different in the Future That Almost Was. Given that the events in Termina would have happened either way, it was safe to assume that the entire land of Termina would already have been wiped out for six years after he recovered from his slumber, reducing the lands that were present there into nothing more than a barren wasteland that stretched for miles in all corners of the wind and the entire population, from Clock Town to Goron Village to the Deku Palace to Romani Ranch to Zora Hall and the Ikana region as a whole, being incinerated in the ensuing shockwave from the moon crashing on Clock Town. The mere thought of it, coupled with what effects it may have had on Hyrule or other parts of the world in that time sent shivers down Link's spine, which was something Saria and Zelda could see as he visibly shivered.  
"Are you okay, Link?" Zelda asked.  
"I'm fine, just having some bad thoughts of what could have happened to Termina and how it could affect its surroundings in the Future That Almost Was." Link said.  
Zelda could understand that all too well, given the fact that Link was sealed in the Sacred Realm himself for years in that time.  
"Time can be very cruel at times. Even the slightest change in a universe can alter a timeline and create a new branch from where new events can unfold from." Rauru said.  
"How do you mean?" Impa asked.  
"Let's say that a timeline can split whenever one event has a different outcome than what we have come to know." Rauru said.  
"I see. Would that affect a whole timeline by itself or create a brand new one?" Darunia asked.  
"If an event has a different outcome, it would create a new timeline as a whole. A great example would be Link's fight against Ganondorf in the Future That Almost Was. We all know that Link was victorious against the Evil King, but there could very well be a timeline where Link, despite his best efforts, was defeated by the Evil King instead, perhaps even killed by him, which in turn allowed Ganondorf to lay his hands on the complete Triforce. In desperation, Zelda and the Sages managed to seal Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm, but it would already be too late for the Hero." Rauru said.  
"Would that alone be a timeline by itself?" Link asked.  
"Yes. It is only a speculation on my part, but it could happen." Rauru said.  
"Would that also count for this timeline?" Zelda asked, shuddering at the mere thought of a time where she, Link, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru remained dead and were unable to be resurrected, leading to a more grotesque downfall of the once prosperous Kingdom of Hyrule.  
"Yes, since anything is possible if the given circumstances permit such a change." Rauru said as the group entered the hallway of the building itself.  
"Oh dear... the mere thought of something like that makes me cringe..." Saria said.

The group came across a large room where three Mad Scrubs were present, waiting to attack anyone near them in ambush.  
"Mad Deku Scrubs? I haven't seen any of those in a while..." Link said.  
"Yeah; all other Deku were friendly..." Saria said, nodding.  
"Well, we should deal with these then before proceeding." Ruto said as the group got ready.  
Nodding, the group went to engage the Deku, having no problems in having to take them down in their own fashion.  
"Well, that's that." Link said after the three Mad Scrubs were dealt with and another gateway opened, which revealed another tunnel.  
"Looks like this part will lead to a different place altogether again." Saria said.  
"I wonder where we'll end up now..." Zelda said as the group went into the new room, leading to another dark hallway.  
So far there were no new enemies in sight as they walked along the hallway, having some form of reprieve as they had their wounds bandaged before entering the building in the first place, taking it easy to prevent making it worse. Zelda sighed.  
"A rupee for your thoughts?" Impa asked.  
"This part feels… familiar to me," Zelda replied to her attendant, "Nabooru, Ruto, Saria, Link and myself have seen a similar structure back in the land beyond the Woods of Mystery. It had similar tiles and the polished floor…"  
"Hmmm… what do you think regarding its use?"  
"I don't know… it looks too abandoned or empty to be made into an actual command post or hideout for the greater evil troops… its appearance gives more the feel of something ancient, like a shrine that was eventually left behind in obscurity… and yet it looks too nice to actually call it abandoned."  
"Maybe someone could still be present to look after such buildings?" Link asked, having overheard the conversation as Zelda walked next to him.  
"That is a possibility, but it only leaves the question of who built the whole thing in the first place." Zelda said.  
"True." Link said, just as the group reached the exit of the area, arriving in front of an abyss with a set of platforms set in a path towards an open log to the left.  
"Wow, now I'm experiencing a déjà vu." Link said.  
"How so?" Saria asked.  
"I had to cross a similar path back when the Majora-possessed Skullkid turned me into a Deku." Link said as he carefully hopped towards the next platform, the others following one by one to give each other enough space to make their moves, before moving into the log together.

Majora in the meantime was indeed working on making the minions stronger as per Ganondorf's command. His own fear and frustration at the fact why he had been so stupid to give Link that accursed Fierce Deity's Mask was still deep within his mind, as it made him realize that he did have the tool to at least end him quickly as well as dealing critical damage to Ganondorf. Both knew that Link and the Sages would not hesitate to try to seal Ganondorf away again, so that scenario had to be avoided at all costs in their eyes. They wanted to rule the world and not be defeated by a combined force of a forest child and what appeared to be representatives of basically every race that lives in Hyrule, led by a princess who had become more fearsome and very defensive over her land as well as that forest child. Something had to be done about the entire group, but what? It appeared that not even death could stop them from achieving their objective, treating it as if it was a mere setback in order to change their strategies. Wouldn't they be able to do the same thing to still give those accursed Sages a taste of their own medicine? The mask-wielding lunatic howled as he tossed a vase against the wall in utter frustration, somehow unable to keep his mind under control as the outrage of the Fierce Deity's presence in his land was intolerable in his view. Coupled with those accursed Sages backing him up made it apparent that the tide of this war could have very well be turned into their favor. Majora would see to it that this advantage wouldn't last long…

After about 15 minutes of walking through logs and passing through a different forest area, Link and the Sages finally found themselves into a more familiar environment: The Lost Woods. In particular arriving at an area which sported the shortcut towards Zora's River.  
"Whew, at least it is closer to home." Link said with a smile as he observed the area.  
"Yeah. Let's move into Goron City first; perhaps there are things that can be salvaged there, along with having a path towards Kakariko Village." Darunia said.  
"Are you certain of this?" Impa asked.  
"Trust me, I'll mostly go in there myself to give you something that will be of help." Darunia said, while Navi, Tatl and Tael finally came out of hiding from Zelda's pocket, seeing that the larger version of Link was gone.  
Upon entering Goron City, the group could see that the city was mostly intact, save for the remains of the exploded Bomb Flowers, the giant Goron vase on the bottom floor laid broken against the wall and a permanent pool of lava was on ground level, able to walked in by only Gorons. Immediately the rest of the group could feel the heat emanating from the lava, except for Darunia who hopped down towards the ground floor, feeling that the lava was only at the height of his toes as he had no trouble in walking through it, entering the Goron Shop in turn.  
"Wow, Death Mountain sure has messed up the crater and by extension Goron City!" Link said, looking around as he saw the remains of the vase, the faces partially melted off.  
"And Kakariko Village too…" Impa said, nodding solemnly as she overlooked the area, sighing.  
"I feel certain that the Triforce will be able to repair most of the damage done…" Rauru said to Impa.  
"I hope so… the worst thing about it is that this time it is worse than the Future That Almost Was…" Impa replied.  
Soon enough, Darunia returned, carrying a stack of red clothing with him.  
"Wait, are those Goron Tunics?" Link asked.  
"Yes. I figure we may need those soon, so I suggest we move to Kakariko Village first and make some of them big enough to fit a child as well as a woman, just to be sure." Darunia said.  
The others could see the logic in this, deciding to store them within their bags before proceeding to leave the ruined Goron City and head down Death Mountain Trail towards the remnants of Kakariko Village. As Rauru had observed during his own travels, the main path down the trail, including the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern, were left mostly untouched, allowing the group safe passage, although the heat from the lava flowing down on the other side was almost excruciating. Nevertheless, the group remained firm and reached the remnants of Kakariko Village, taking temporal residence inside Impa's old house which was left mostly intact. There, the group tended to each other's injuries more properly, refreshing the bandages and applying medicine where needed to dull the pain or prevent inflammation of the injuries in question, giving them the time and chance needed to heal properly.

Retrieving blankets of the other homes which could be salvaged, Impa, Rauru and Darunia brought them to Impa's old house to provide cover for the others as they went upstairs to get some rest, using the equipment from their camping site to make makeshift separated bedrooms for as good and bad as it could. After having their respective measures taken body-wise, Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto retreated into one of the tents to rest up as much as they could, while Impa, Darunia, Rauru and Nabooru went to work on adjusting the Goron Tunics for the group except Darunia himself and by extension Rauru, whom could fit a large, adult model of the Goron Tunic without troubles. Thankfully Darunia managed to discover some tools needed for making clothing in one of the houses in Kakariko Village, being the house that was partially intact close to the potion shop. After about an hour or so, Nabooru went to check on the four children inside the tents. She soon found the children inside one of the tents, huddled close together to chase each other's nightmares away as Link laid between Saria and Zelda, while Ruto laid behind Saria on her turn, each of the four children being peacefully asleep. Smiling at this, Nabooru closed the tent before joining the others in the living room once more.

It was only a few hours later that the other Sages went to sleep as well. The night went without incidents again, giving them some of the peace they needed and making them wake up in the next morning without incidents. After having breakfast together using the supplies they had with them, the group set out to return once again to the Temple of Time, this time to purify the Fierce Deity's Mask in order to ensure that the evil spirit dwelling within was vanquished. The fairies Navi, Tatl and Tael accompanied them once more, having remained around the group ever since the reunion and after they too were informed about the plans of the Sages to have the mask purified.  
"So this mask that Link has can be purified... but what about Majora's Mask?" Tatl inquired as the group approached the gateway that formed the entrance to Kakariko Village from Hyrule Field.  
"That is a mask which cannot be purified, due to its horrific power going way back towards ancient times, where it was used in its hexing rituals and what not. Some say that the mask was carved out of a horrific beast eons ago…" Rauru said.  
"Really?" Link asked.  
"Yes. Legends tell about an evil, demonic beast whom fed on the desires of the countless numbers of men and women who had come before it to try and claim its armor and be granted their wishes. A traveler then came forward to the place where the monster lived and started talking with the man-eating creature, where he finds that the monster itself wanted to die, being so miserable. The man then pulled out his bongo and started playing, causing the monster to go in a trance and started dancing. The traveler played for three days straight and on the third day, the beast dropped dead from dancing its heart out. He then took its magical armor, but instead of wishing upon it, he carved it into a mask in an attempt to seal the beast's power inside the mask forever. The mask was named Majora after the beast. The mask had a spirit because Majora's evil power lingered on inside the mask seeking a host, not resting until its wish was granted." Rauru said.  
"Wow!" Link and Zelda said in unison.  
"Either way, Majora's Mask is way too powerful, or too evil to be purified, hence it must be destroyed instead." Rauru said.  
"And here I thought that its evil powers were already vanquished after I defeated it the first time…" Link solemnly said.  
"It could appear to be vanquished as such a power can be put into dormancy, rendering the mask docile until it has found a more suitable host or someone capable of using magic for revival purposes, like Ganondorf's avatar Agahnim has done." Rauru replied.  
Link shuddered visibly, as did Zelda.  
"No wonder why he gives me the creeps." The Hyrulean princess said.  
"I'll say. It is indeed a case of power corrupts on this one." Link said.  
"That's right. Those who don't know the danger of wielding power shall be ultimately conquered by it." Impa said.  
Link and Zelda both were unnerved by this.  
"That is something that Ganondorf has become now, especially with his desire to obtain the very Triforce Pierces that you two possess," Rauru then said to Link and Zelda, "while Ganondorf was able to kill the both of you as you know, you two have taken your Triforce pieces with you. Whether this is done deliberately by Ganondorf or that Majora has had a part in this is something that not even I know, but either way, you two are in the greatest danger. After all, destiny as chosen you to wield the Triforce of Courage and Wisdom respectively."  
Link and Zelda both nodded, understanding this as the group entered Hyrule Field and approaching Hyrule Castle Town.  
"So, what are we going to do after the purification?" Ruto asked.  
"We should head back to Termina one more time to properly prepare ourselves to enter that other sanctuary which contains more of Ganondorf and Majora's forces. Now that we know how strong they have become, we should heed to our Hero's advice and move to become stronger ourselves; we can't afford another mistake like what I made back then, since I know for certain that everyone of us will die if we go to confront them now, which in turn will doom the Kingdom of Hyrule and by extension the world forever." Rauru said.  
Link nodded.  
"It sounds tedious, I know that. I want to send both Ganondorf and Majora into oblivion as much as you do, don't get me wrong, but we mustn't grow careless. It is fortunate that Termina has some of the facilities we need for it, so we may need to spar against each other and push each other to the limit without causing any permanent/lasting damage." He said.  
"We trust you on this as much as you trust us." Saria said.  
"You know, kid, you've got some undying loyalty for your friends in a degree that I've never seen before." Nabooru said.  
"Thanks." Link said to the Gerudo with a smile.  
"It's ironic that, in a way, a wish of yours is being granted for now…" Darunia then said.  
"Which is?"  
"You and Zelda both are coming with us into the Chamber of the Sages, since that's the best place for us to commence with the ritual to purify that mask." Darunia smiled.  
Link smiled brightly at this.  
"Thank you." He said as the group entered the Hyrule Castle Town.

Ganondorf sat on his throne, thinking about what Majora has told him regarding that other mask that was given to Link by the latter. Truth be told, Ganondorf had never heard about such a being in existence, but that it was there was obvious. How else would Majora be so terrified all of a sudden when that level of power was felt all the way from the vast forest area all the way to the new tower, which was now named Ganjora's Tower… Standing up, he went outside to the top of the tower for some close observation. As he appeared on the top of the tower, it was already clear that the tower itself was incredibly high, being as high, if not higher than the Stone Tower, with his personal throne being located on the level where in the Stone Tower the entrance to its temple was situated. Walking to the edge, he could see the Stone Tower itself faintly in the far distance, before he looked down to the south area of the tower, past the vast mountain areas in the direction of where once stood the glorious castle of the Hyrulean Royal Family. He could sense the approach of Link and the Seven Sages, but why were they headed to the Temple of Time? Something was amiss, he knew it, so he decided to perform a little spy game. Perhaps he could see the mask and the Fierce Deity in person, so he could see for himself what got Majora so riled up since yesterday. He remained silent as he moved off silently, but keeping his distance and taking his time. It gave him time to inspect the headquarters below anyway…

Entering Hyrule Castle Town, the group was still unnerved by the vast amount of ReDeads that roamed the town square. However, Link played the Sun's Song on his Ocarina to freeze them all, allowing the Sages and himself to pass by without worries. For some reason it automatically brought relief to the group as a whole as the ReDeads were frozen in place, allowing them to reach the Temple of Time swiftly, which was in time as another group of enemies patrolling in the area were approaching their position rapidly. Passing by the Sheikah stones that stood in its courtyard, the group made the turn towards the entrance when Link suddenly stopped, spotting something in the faint distance.  
"What's the matter?" Zelda asked.  
"I'm seeing a landscape at a far distance ahead, something I've never seen before… it lies way beyond of where Hyrule Castle once stood…" Link said.  
As the Sages watched, they could indeed see dark clouds bellowing towards a very distant landscape, as if an evil presence has made its home there. They could also see a faint outline of a tower that stuck out from beyond the mountains.  
"I think that could be Ganondorf and Majora's true lair." Impa said.  
"It is. We have to attend to this later however." Rauru said, as the group moved on towards the Temple of Time.

Once inside the Temple, the group could see that the Temple was still ruined, the rubble that once blocked the path towards the Pedestal of Time being neatly moved aside to make it accessible again. Upon approaching the Pedestal of Time, Rauru used his own Sage powers to transport the entire group directly into the Chamber of the Sages, which fortunately looked untouched. Navi, Tatl and Tael remained behind inside the Temple itself, partially due to Tatl and Tael being in foreign land and Navi wanting to stay with her kin in order to enlighten them a bit more about the place. Inside the Chamber of the Sages, the Sages already moved to stand in a circle on top of the Triforce-shaped pedestal, with Link standing between Saria and Zelda, although a bit at the back, wondering how this ritual was going to take place, not wanting to interfere as he felt it could hinder or even fail it in turn. This event all increased his heartbeat, but he kept his calm expression.  
"Are you alright, Brother?" Darunia asked.  
"I'm fine, Darunia. It's just that it's the first time I'm actually witnessing this first-hand and I'm also eager to finally turn the tide of this war." Link said, smiling.  
"Trust us in the fact that we will emerge victorious at the end. First, we will heed to your request to purify the Fierce Deity's Mask. Your courage has allowed you to withstand its evil spirit so far, but we will see to it that it will never be able to corrupt you at all. First, we will need the Mask itself." Rauru then said.  
Link nodded as he handed over the Fierce Deity's Mask, which Rauru lays down on the Triforce-shaped pedestal among the group. Link wondered how it would go, knowing he'd be the first to witness such a ritual. The Sages in the meantime had taken up their positions around the Mask. Rauru held the hands of Impa and Darunia. Darunia holds the hand of Nabooru, while Ruto is at Impa's side, holding her hand. Ruto holds the hand of Saria, while Nabooru has Zelda's hand. At first, Link believes that this is a Sage only ritual... but then he sees Saria and Zelda smiling at him, beckoning him to join in!  
"You... you want me to join in on this?" Link asked, blinking in genuine surprise.  
"Yes, Link. You are the Hero of Time and only the Hero is, when needed, allowed to join in on the Sages actions and rituals." Zelda said, smiling.  
"Besides, we need all the help we can get to prevent mistakes like what happened to you before." Darunia said.  
Link smiled and accepts the hands of Saria and Zelda, making the circle complete, the Sages all smiling back at him.  
"Now, close your eyes as we will initiate the ritual. We need absolute concentration of everyone in this." Rauru said as he closed his eyes.  
Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Impa and Darunia followed suit, intertwining their fingers to maintain grip on each other's hands to ensure the circle would not break. Then Rauru proceeded with the incantation, citing it in the form of a prayer.  
"Goddesses of Hyrule, please heed our call, the call of the ancient creators of Hyrule. For the past days, The lands of Hyrule and Termina have been plagued by the appearance and reappearance of Creatures of Evil, Creatures who are bound to destroy everything we have built up. Creatures who will stop at nothing until the original inhabitants of both worlds are vanquished and replaced by creatures of their own kind. Creatures who have no mercy and will mercilessly slaughter any man, woman, child and animal who stand in their way. We have the means to combat these creatures, but our time is running short. In the middle of us is a mask, a mask which bears the spirit of an Oni, whom gives the user enough power to combat any opponent in their path, giving them the strength needed to overcome any hardships quickly. But the spirit has once been evil or believed to be evil, as the user is exposed to the threat of being overtaken by it. We ask of you, Great Goddesses of Hyrule, to make this mask pure, so the wearer will not be corrupted by its evil spirit and use its power to protect what we helped to build up in the worlds. Goddesses of Hyrule, please heed our call, PURIFY THE MASK OF THE FIERCE DEITY!"

For a moment, everything was silent for a few seconds... but then the chamber itself began to rumble, but neither Link nor any of the Sages moved from their spots. An enormous power build-up proceeded to fill the Chamber itself, which in turn began to emanate from the ruined Temple of Time. The rumbling began to spread throughout the Temple of Time itself, then it would be felt in the courtyard of the temple… and then Hyrule Castle Town would begin to rumble. This alerted a group of Stalfos and Dinolfos as they patrolled around in the ruined town, the Moblin Guards, Bomb Soldiers and Iron Knuckles who stood guard also looked up, wondering where the rumbling came from. The ReDeads on the other hand remained in position as if it was nothing to them. Inside the Temple itself, Navi, Tatl and Tael huddled together, obviously frightened at what was going on at the moment.  
"Wha- what is this?!" Tatl asked.  
"It must be the ceremony they talked about! Look!" Navi exclaimed as he saw the Pedestal of Time beginning to glow…

Meanwhile, the rumbling intensified, and auras began to appear around the group of eight surrounding the Fierce Deity's Mask. It was as if there was an awakening ceremony taking place. Then, the eyes of the group seemed to open, but they were glowing... Rauru's eyes were yellow, Impa's were purple, Darunia's were red, Nabooru's were orange, Ruto's were Blue, Saria's were green, Zelda's were gold and Link's eyes were lime green, as if the goddesses were replying through them. A golden glow appeared around the Fierce Deity's Mask, the glow suddenly expanding slowly, engulfing the eight in its peaceful, warm glow, before an energy pillar shot up from it, and an energy pillar appeared from the pedestal and into the sky, piercing through the Dark clouds. It was then that an energy sphere appeared into the sky, making it reminiscent of almost forming a disc with symbols on it, but the sound coming from it seemed to be as if it was gathering energy first. It was then however that the center orb expanded along with the celestial 'disk', before it exploded into a single orb as a torrent of golden yellow lightning bolts as unleashed on the town AND the temple itself! Navi, Tatl and Tael remained untouched, but every creature that belonged to Ganondorf and Majora was incinerated the instant a lightning strike hit them. The Iron Knuckles however had their armors destroyed, releasing the Gerudo controlling them, each of the Gerudo being knocked out cold by the sudden attack. Those Gerudo whom were first brainwashed also had the spell casted on them dispelled, freeing them from Ganondorf and Majora's control in the process…

Soon enough, the light died down. The purification was a success and the Fierce Deity's Mask, now formerly home to an evil spirit, was now a mask that retained its power, but was without the danger of corrupting its user. Link and the Sages were equally drained, but satisfied at the end result as the whole ceremony was a complete success, with Link taking the mask now back after he was given the okay by the Sages. The group was of course exhausted after all this, but overall, their objective was completed. With this in hand, Rauru transported the group back towards the Temple of Time, reappearing around the Pedestal of Time. No sooner had they exited the part of what was once the Door of Time, the area began to rumble again, this time with a more evil intent.  
"What the-?!" Link asked, right before he and the Sages found themselves encased in a single crystal prison, instantly causing Zelda to scream as this happened to her in the Future That Almost Was.  
Just then, footsteps came into the room they were in. As the group looked forward, gazing through the crystal, they could see Ganondorf approaching… and he wasn't pleased at all…


	27. Chapter 27: Deity versus King

_Chapter 27: Deity versus King_

"So… the eight pests have showed themselves once again…" Ganondorf said as he approached the crystal with the group inside.  
"Ganondorf…" Zelda said, while Link growled.  
"Pest?! Why don't you look into a mirror to see the pest right there?!" Ruto snapped.  
"How foolish of you to have returned to my land… alive! Your little ritual did not escape my attention, but regardless of what you did, it will not help you." Ganondorf said, his expression stern and malicious.  
"What do you want?!" Impa then snapped.  
"Very simple, Sheikah… I want the two remaining Triforce Pieces as well as whatever powers you have as Sages… and after that I want your deaths!"  
Navi, Tatl and Tael had in the meantime gone into hiding, being frightened of Ganondorf's appearance.  
"If you think you can just take our powers and end us, then you're sadly mistaken." Link said as Ganondorf still approached.  
"Silence, kid! I killed you once before and I can do it again. Just take comfort in the fact that your friends will go with you, so you won't be alone." Ganondorf said.  
"Where's Majora? Isn't he supposed to be your ally?" Zelda then asked.  
"Majora's currently out of town, checking on some business regarding our forces in Termina. I happened to sense what you were doing out here, so I decided to investigate it. Now I see you lot all together here with the same false hopes as ever…" Ganondorf said with a dark chuckle.  
"False hope you say? The only one with the false hope is you, since you will never be able to defeat us!" Ruto snapped.  
"Oh, really?" Ganondorf asked, amused at the Zora Princess' defiance, "then tell me how it was to have been amongst the ranks of the dead, since you will be going back there very soon."  
"Not if we cave your face in first!" Darunia snapped, slamming his hands together as he was ready to deliver a serious pounding to the Evil King.  
"You people amuse me… just like when that forest kid confronted me as he tried to stop me from going after Zelda and Impa on that white horse of theirs…" Ganondorf said, chuckling darkly.  
"You evil bastard! Haven't you done enough?!" Nabooru snarled.  
"Hm? Ah yes, the lone wolf thief whom openly turned on me back then… too bad for you that I've just begun…" Ganondorf said as he raised his hand in the air, beginning to generate a sphere of dark magic, which turned into a sphere of green electricity.  
"Time for your dreams and hopes to end!" Ganondorf said as he charged it up, intending to destroy the crystal and vaporize the group inside to nothingness.  
However, he failed to notice Link putting on the now Purified Fierce Deity Mask, the effects becoming clear as Link's body began to grow in size and in power. Ganondorf was about to throw the attack when he suddenly spotted Link transforming, his size and power putting pressure on the crystal from within, making cracks appear in it, right before the now-Purified Fierce Deity Link used his Double Helix Sword to shatter the crystal prison, freeing himself and the Sages and sending debris of the crystal prison around the room, some of which shattering into smaller pieces as they struck the walls. Ganondorf immediately ceased his attack as he now stared into the eyes of the new Fierce Deity Link. The purified Fierce Deity Link retained his initial appearance with the armor and everything, but where once his eyes were empty, were now the blue eyes that were definitely Link's. But the most astonishing thing was his power, it has multiplied as if Link truly had transcended his humanity and became a deity in his own right.  
"What the-?! What is this?!" Ganondorf asked.  
"The one who will show you that you have messed with the wrong people!" Fierce Deity Link said, narrowing his eyes while his Double Helix Sword was shimmering with magic power.  
_'So THIS is the form that Majora has talked about before… now I see it firsthand…_' Ganondorf thought before chuckling, smirking as he observed Link's new form.  
"Cheeky, eh? Well then, let's see what you got!" Ganondorf said as he drew his own sword, before casting a fire barrier to keep the Sages out of the fight.  
Immediately Saria and Zelda protested, but Link turned to them.  
"Don't worry about me, I'll take care of this." He said, genuinely smiling at them, before growing serious again as he turned to the Evil King, who was ready to attack.

Soon enough, Ganondorf and Fierce Deity Link engaged each other in a sword fight, with Ganondorf having it easier in a way as the Double Helix Sword did require the use of two hands, thus preventing the use of a shield. However, Link was making things very difficult as he at one point threw a few Sword Beams at the Evil King, stunning him to the point of where he could lay in several hits. Fierce Deity Link's form as a whole was impressive as it was as even Nabooru, Impa, Darunia and Rauru had to look up to him now because of his size, but the thing that could TRULY be called grotesque in all aspects was the Double Helix Sword that Link was wielding; it proved to be very resilient and also incredibly powerful, putting the pressure on Ganondorf for once as the two clashed in this fight. It was of no surprise that the Sages watched in awe at the amount of power that Link wielded now, but the surprising thing was that Zelda and Saria both were silently rooting for their friend, Ruto found herself balling her fists in excitement and Nabooru wished she could make Ganondorf pay herself, hoping that Link could deliver blows to him in her name. The King of Evil managed to get a few low blows in, but Fierce Deity Link easily retaliated with some nasty slashes, at one point having sliced and diced Ganondorf's cape and part of his armor to bits. This made it clear that Fierce Deity Link was definitely a force to be reckoned with, but Ganondorf's main advantage was that he still was in the possession of the Triforce of Power, making him incredibly strong on his turn.

Ganondorf was astonished that he actually found himself struggling to keep up! Where first he had little trouble in dealing with the young forest child, now it was the other way around as this transformation because of that mask gave him superior power and a massive blade to boot! But this was impossible; this child was confirmed dead by his men, but ended up resurrected one way or another! And now he was kicking his ass, but how! He was the Great Ganondorf, the Great King of Evil and soon-to-be Ruler of the World! How was it possible that this young boy managed to overcome him, including the time he bested him in the Future That Almost Was?! Was he somehow driven by a different cause? A cause that seemed insignificant in Ganondorf's vision? And what about that blade?! It definitely wasn't the Master Sword, yet it was inflicting damage where it could! It was as if this being was of a whole different caliber than Link and the Seven Sages combined! Now he could understand why Majora got worked up over him, but that it was giving HIMSELF a hard time was something that Ganondorf could not tolerate! But he also realized that the Triforce parts were resonating, the sensation of them trying to become one once more as the legend foretold being present within those who contained such a piece, but it was present within Ganondorf the most! Both sides were sporting some injuries, but this didn't deter Link to continue fighting and protect his friends with the best of his abilities, something Ganondorf noticed before. Eventually managing to kick Fierce Deity Link towards the Sages while ceasing the barrier, Ganondorf lowered his weapon.  
"So… you have power… but do you really think you can defeat me with that?" Ganondorf then asked as Fierce Deity Link got up, with the Sages moving to him right away.  
"Insects, you have no idea how much preparation and power is required to beat me… yet I must admit that your teamwork and everything has gotten you quite far… not even Death can stop you, that is something I've come to understand…" Ganondorf said, clenching his fists in what appeared to be frustration.  
Fierce Deity Link was obviously panting, but managed to stand upright, holding onto his sword tightly. The Sages all stood next to or behind him, helping him up. Link made a silent nod of gratitude towards them, indicating that the purification was a success. It was then that Ganondorf held his right hand forward, brandishing the mark of the Triforce of Power towards the group.  
"It's time to end this however, as your powers shall be mine now! PERISH AT THE HANDS OF THE GREAT GANONDORF!" The Evil King then snarled, before unleashing another purple and black aura of evil, which then moved towards Link and the Sages as a while, causing them to grunt as the wave of darkness engulfed them completely.

Ganondorf cackled as he could feel the powers of the group being sapped little by little, showcasing who was the superior one here. It wouldn't be long before they would be weak enough for him to extract the remaining Triforce parts as well as whatever powers these Sages seemed to have at their disposal, so he could use it against them. Fierce Deity Link however wasn't going to give up without a fight, managing to lift his Double Helix Sword in front of him in an upright position, beginning to channel whatever power he could muster inside it. Already he began to feel the pressure building up on his body, mainly due to the wave of darkness around him and the internal struggle within him to remain standing and prevent the cataclysm that Ganondorf was bringing upon them. Veins were beginning to pulse in his neck, arms and legs, but he held his position as his Double Helix Sword began to shimmer on and off. Link then blinked as he felt someone grabbing his left arm and beginning to add power to his. From the corner of his eyes, he could see that Zelda had taken the initiative and was adding her power to his, adding resistance to the group, but putting her under the same pressure as himself.  
"S… Sages… we need to… help him!" Zelda managed to say between grunts as the wave of darkness was beginning to take its toll on the group.  
Shifting his legs to increase balance, Link attempted to still block the incoming wave of darkness, his sword now glowing a bit more thanks to Zelda's input. But the glow suddenly became stable. Looking at his other arm, he saw that Saria and Ruto each held themselves onto his right arm and were adding their powers to Link and Zelda's. Nabooru aided Zelda by also grabbing Link's left arm while at the same time supporting the Hyrulean princess, while Impa grabbed Link's shoulders, along with Rauru, while Darunia grabbed Link around the waist to provide additional weight to prevent them from falling over, each of them also supplying Link with their powers, but putting all of them now under intense pressure as the glow intensified. Ganondorf's eyes went wide as he saw this happening, moving to intensify his Wave of Darkness around the group, causing them to grunt even harder as they tried to maintain their position. However, Fierce Deity Link remained standing and, as if on cue, the Triforce of Courage began to glow on his hand, as did the Triforce of Wisdom on Zelda's hand. Surely enough, the Double Helix Blade was brimming with energy which at first began to divert some of the Darkness Wave away from them, before Fierce Deity Link, with the aid of the Sages, brought the sword down so the tip was facing Ganondorf… right before a massive wave of energy was fired from the Sword, heading towards Ganondorf who looked shocked as this happened. This wasn't just an ordinary energy beam; it was a focused beam, which promptly slammed into Ganondorf's chest, causing him to cease his attack and was sent flying THROUGH the wall of the Temple of Time towards the mountain landscape he apparently came from. But Ganondorf wasn't the only one who came out of this unscathed; the firing process of this Sword Beam caused a kickback onto the group itself, sending them crashing through the other wall and landing in the courtyard of the Temple, with the mask itself coming off of Link's face due to the harsh landing, making the mask land against one of the Sheikah Stones. The group itself laid a few meters behind them, with Darunia and Rauru being the closest to the Sheikah Stones on their turn. Impa and Nabooru laid in front of them, while Saria, Link, Zelda and Ruto laid in front of them, each of them being terribly exhausted, their bodies aching all over and sweating and for a brief moment, there appeared to be steam rising from their bodies, as if they went in some kind of overheat.  
"W… wow…" Saria said.  
"That… that was… something else…" Zelda said between pants.  
Link chuckled lightly, being too exhausted to laugh.  
"I… I guess we… now know… what it's like… to combine… our energies… in a single… attack." Link said, causing the others to grin or chuckle on their turn, even Rauru.  
"Oh wow… my body hurts… so much… I can hardly move…" Nabooru said, trying to get up, but her arms and legs gave out, causing her to fall back on the ground with another grunt upon landing.  
"I… I guess a short… nap… is in order…" Link said.  
"B… But we… we'd be vulnerable here…" Zelda said.  
It was then that Saria used her Ocarina to play the Minuet of Forest with the energy she had left, transporting the group in the calm, serene surroundings of the Sacred Forest Meadow. Then, after checking if everyone was present with her, Saria passed out from exhaustion, with Link passing out himself about a second later. Rauru managed to retrieve the Fierce Deity's Mask before the transportation begin, having taken it with him in turn before he too passed out, as did the others one by one, in turn giving their bodies the chance needed to recuperate from the sudden pressure put onto them.

Majora in the meantime could feel the energy increase all the way down into the sanctuary he was in while moving the troops in their position, causing him to shiver once again, even more when he could feel what he suspected to be a clash between the Fierce Deity and Ganondorf... but something seemed off about the Fierce Deity in his eyes... it was as if the Fierce Deity had become more pure-hearted as it left the Sages alone... but why? How was that possible?! Majora was about to go nuts from all these questions in his mind, so he moved off to be alone somewhere...

Ganondorf on the other hand crashed right into a mountain area after being blasted with that Sword Beam, grunting as he could feel more of his armor shattering. However, his Triforce of Power enabled him to survive something like that, although it would take some time for him to recover from the blow as well...  
_'So... that is what the Fierce Deity's like... but he still had Link's eyes instead of the empty eyes that Majora had told me about not too long ago... and he left the Sages alone... something is definitely amiss... but what?!'_ Ganondorf mentally asked himself as he pulled himself from the mountain, ignoring the rubble falling down because of his movements.  
_'This all confirms the threat that the group as a whole poses, but Link as the Fierce Deity even more... something has to be done about it, before things go haywire and they come to challenge me again. I will take the necessary measures in order to be prepared for them. They will not get away so easily... I will make sure that they will suffer deeply for defying me and defying death... I will get their powers, no matter what it takes!"_ Ganondorf thought as he floated back up, observing the damage done on his armor and cape.  
_'Looks like I may need to reinforce my armor and cape first; both have taken quite the damage...but at least this gives me the time to think of proper countermeasures... mark my words, Link and Zelda... your far from done with all your troubles... in fact, if you head either all the way over there or dare to come here, you will see that things will only be even harder from you...'_ He said as he floated up and prepared to leave.

It took them about an hour or two, but eventually Link and the Sages woke up, their bodies having recuperated enough to allow proper movements to be made overall... although it didn't go easy, the group managed to get up and move to the tree trunk where Saria used to play her own song on her Ocarina all the time. Link recalled those times very well, having learned her song from her and, whenever he could, especially after his initial return from Termina, played the Ocarina together with Saria, the two simply having fun as they played in harmony with on occasion providing a second tone to whatever song they decided to play. It were good times that both Link and Saria enjoyed, especially when their duet became a triplet as at times Princess Zelda managed to sneak into the Sacred Forest Meadow and happily played the ocarina with Link and Saria, which no doubt was well-received by the Kokiri and the resident forest animals in general. Once at the tree stump, Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto sat down on it, with the other Sages sitting around them.  
"Whew, I still feel tired..." Link said, sighing deeply.  
"We all are. I didn't think that something like that would be leaving such a strain on our bodies, much less us being even capable of achieving such a feat in the first place." Impa said.  
"True. I think it has something to do with some kind of connection we have with each other, almost as if you lot for the time 'awakened' and added your powers to mine in turn... such a concept was something you did before when we had to defeat Ganondorf in the Future That Almost Was..."  
"Indeed. I do wonder how we are going to even reach Ganondorf now. If his new lair he shares with Majora is THAT far away from the main land where once my castle stood, it would be even more of a long trip to reach him..." Zelda said.  
"True and given with how strong he has become, it's safe to say that the upcoming time may be the hardest for us yet." Rauru said.  
The others nodded as they sat together, resting up a bit more before moving on towards the Lost Woods, from which they could travel towards Termina again after calling their horses using Epona's Song. Once the group (sans Darunia) were on their horses, they made their way back towards Termina through the forest, taking it easy to give them and their horses an easy time. Link smiled as he felt Saria resting against his back, apparently the forest girl was still somewhat tired. Not that he blamed her though; he was more inclined to rest some more, but decided to keep himself awake to remain alert. Impa did the same thing while holding Zelda with her on her horse and Nabooru did this with Princess Ruto as well. Thankfully their trip went without incidents, giving them the chance to still rest up…

At the same moment Leia and Reimu had ventured off with a patrol of Gerudo at their side to investigate the forest area of where they felt a massive increase of energy first.  
"What do you think has happened there?" Leia asked as the group entered the outpost which was left now wide open.  
"I don't know, but it felt enormous. It must have clearly swept through this whole area for sure, considering it is now void of enemy presence…" Reimu said.  
"True. I wonder if our new allies and friends have anything to do with this… I mean the ones who helped our comrades by liberating them from that mind-control spell…"  
"You raise an interesting point, but we can't know for sure until we have found evidence of what has happened here…" She said, just as one of the guards spotted a child hiding among some rocks.  
"Hey, I found someone." She said.  
The Graveyard Boy was startled as he saw Gerudo approaching, but they didn't seem to make a move to attack or capture him…  
"Relax, kid; we're not with Ganondorf or his entourage. What's happened?" Reimu asked the boy.  
"I… I saw a group of people heading in this area, freeing me from captivity and taking out the enemy soldiers as if they were nothing. One of them looked like she was one of you, although her clothing was more white." The boy said.  
"That must have been the exalted Nabooru, our true leader." Leia said, to which Reimu nodded.  
"Anyways, what are you hiding out here for?" Reimu then asked the boy.  
"I initially wanted to go to where I was staying with my parents and all before we got captured, but I wanted to see where they were going… causing me to stick around here.  
Reimu nodded.  
"We'll take you back to your village. That way we'll show the villagers that the Gerudo here are as much against Ganondorf as they are." She said, before spotting a Goron heading to them, evidently having investigated the area himself and joined up with them as well.  
"Thank you very much ma'am." The boy said with a happy smile as the Gerudo decided to do their good deed for the day and return the child to where he belongs, hoping that this would at least get them partially into the good graces of the Hyrulean people, especially now that they had a Goron as a witness.

It took the group several hours at best to cross the vast forest that laid between the two lands, before arriving at an entrance that led to what appeared to be the bottom area of the Clock Town's tower, similar to the sewer area Link arrived in when he came to Termina the first time after being turned into a Deku. It's one of the hidden entrances that leads directly into the center of Clock Town itself. Link shuddered as he arrived at this place, feeling memories returning to him.  
"What's up, Link?" Zelda asked as she noted him shuddering.  
"Nothing, just a few memories of that Happy Mask Salesman who passed by in these parts. He was here while I was out in Termina fighting Majora and everything." Link said.  
"I recall seeing him back in Hyrule Castle Town. That grin of his gave me the creeps..." Zelda said, shuddering herself as she knew what Link meant.  
"Wasn't he the one looking for the rare masks and everything?" Impa asked, "He had some of them stalled in the shop…"  
"He was... he had all those different masks with him on his backpack when I saw him in Hyrule Castle Town as he made his way out…" Zelda said.  
"Great Scott! I recall him looking for the one mask that the Skullkid had back then!" Link then said, having an epiphany  
"What?! That Salesman was actually looking for Majora's Mask ITSELF?!" Zelda asked, going wide-eyed.  
"Yes, I recall him walking away with it after Termina was saved. He was gone before I even had the chance to stop him. Then again, I was still shaking the stars out of my head since I got pretty much launched back to earth once I destroyed Majora's Wrath. That battle took place in the moon after all..." Link said.  
"You told us that, that was one great adventure and one heck of a battle after all..." Saria said, nodding.  
"And you assume that Majora himself confronted that salesman just to get that Mask back, right?" Rauru asked.  
"I'm sure of that, Rauru; it's the only thing that gave Majora his powers in the first place. Being that it has been used in ancient hexing rituals and the mask itself having its powers sealed when the tribe responsible feared that the result would be catastrophic if left unchecked…" Link said  
"Wow, I think that must have been the start of the hell unleashed upon both Hyrule and Termina." Nabooru said.  
"Believe me, Nabooru, I'm certain that what we have gone through is more similar to like standing in front of the gates of Hell... as far as I know, with Ganondorf and Majora planning their invasions all over the place, Hell has yet to come. Here I thought that the Mask lost its powers after I defeated Majora, but apparently I was mistaken; it could have very well laid dormant until it found its new host or a new ally all along as you said, Rauru." Link said  
"I hope the Goddess of Time can protect us now." Princess Zelda said, shuddering.  
"We all hope that, Zelda. If we can't stop the evil menace that lies ahead, who will?" Impa then said.  
"We should take a rest in Clock Town, while we also prepare ourselves for a great journey. We should find out where that sanctuary is once we're certain we're ready for it." Link said.  
"Great idea. We will need to adapt and plan things accordingly. If those two plan such an outrageous attack to ensure any form of resistance is crushed, we need to be prepared for something a lot worse as the place could be crawling with monsters…" Darunia said.  
"Hopefully the room Nabooru, Ruto, Zelda, Saria and I stayed in is still available for us…" Link said as Darunia opened the tower doors, leading the group on into Clock Town before the doors closed again.


	28. Chapter 28: The preparation

_Chapter 28: The preparation_

Clock Town is the most prosperous and largest town in Termina, lying in the center of the land and providing the center of government and commerce for Terminans everywhere. Run by Mayor Dotour, the town is often filled with life with its numerous shops, entertainment buildings like a Shooting Gallery and also providing things that were never seen in Hyrule before, such as a Bank for rupee storage, the Trading Post and even a Lottery shop. Tourists who arrive there usually stay in the town's only inn, the Stock Pot Inn, if they so desire and for musical performances, people can come down to the Milk Bar, the one place where townsfolk and tourists alike can congregate and chat together and providing the venue for the bands that have planned and are scheduled to play there for when they are on tour. Arriving in East Clock Town were the group of people native to Hyrule, being Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Darunia, Impa and Rauru, accompanied by their horses. Darunia, Impa and Rauru were very much in awe of the town, while Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru have visited the town before and are in a way more familiar with the businesses around. Around them, the daily routine of life, working, eating and sleeping continued as if it was for countless years. There were no big events in town so business was easy; when the Carnival of Time would draw near, the town would be even more busy than usual. It is this that also proved fortunate for the group as it allowed them to rent the room in the Stock Pot Inn, which was approved of by Anju, the current owner of the Stock Pot Inn, and her husband Kafei. Settling in their room, the group decided to sit together and discuss their plans of action.  
"Alright, we now know that there is another outpost of Ganondorf and Majora out here in Termina, but its exact location is currently unknown to us, as is the way of how to even reach it in the first place. So it is likely we may need to ask the folks here if they know anything about the place." Nabooru said.  
"What is known about it so far?" Darunia asked.  
"All that is currently known is that the outpost is located in the area between Snowhead and Ikana Canyon, but it is said that we can't enter it from those areas, as if it's deliberately made so in order to make it into a perfect stronghold in preparation for the major invasion that is about to befall this land, seeing as Hyrule is already largely conquered by Ganondorf and Majora together." Nabooru replied.  
"We do know that there is a path that leads to it, but where that path exactly is or where it can be accessed in the first place is something that none of us know so far." Ruto then said.  
"It is likely that we must be able to access it somewhere within Ikana Canyon or look into the Woods of Mystery once again. I thought to have seen a path going up to the right when we followed the monkey towards the unknown land that laid between Ikana and the Woods of Mystery itself." Link said, bringing out a map of Termina and its surrounding areas, pointing to the locations he mentioned.  
Saria and Zelda both nodded.  
"But what is left for us to do around here until we have that information?" Ruto then asked.  
"I suggest we sharpen our sword-wielding skills in the Swordsman's School in West Clock Town for those who need it. West Clock Town also has the Trading Shop and the Bomb Shop we can use to restock on supplies of weapons and medicines if we are in need of them." Link said, marking the locations.  
"Those who prefer ranged weapons can test their skills in the Shooting Gallery in East Clock Town or even within the Southern Swamp to test it against moving targets." Zelda added.  
The others nodded.  
"We could also hold sparring sessions against each other to test our skills more thoroughly, so that we know how we fight and can counter each other's moves." Darunia said.  
"True, since I have a feeling that we may need to face our worst fears and overcome them if we are to get anywhere." Link said.  
Zelda nodded at this.  
"Like what we went through when Majora put us in that dream world?" She asked.  
"Yes, but possibly even worse. We could very well need to master ourselves for real if we are to make a stand now… besides, there have been dark copies made of you and me for one, so it could be very well done to the others as well." Link replied, making Zelda shudder.  
"Either way, we have it going to have it very busy…" Impa said, making the others nod, while Navi, Tatl and Tael settled somewhere to rest inside the room, leaving the discussion to the group of eight…

At the same moment, Majora felt what has happened in Hyrule and teleported to the area of where he felt the energy come from, seeing two large holes in either side of the Temple of Time, heading for the one which gave a view of the mountains close to the tower he resided in with Ganondorf, moving at high speed. Upon his arrival, he discovered Ganondorf, who looked worse for wear, despite being fully conscious as he dug himself out from underneath the rubble. Ganondorf grunted as he freed himself from his current trap, before seeing Majora floating nearby.  
"What happened?" Majora asked.  
"Take a guess..." Ganondorf snarled as he got up.  
"You confronted the Fierce Deity..."  
"More or less, he confronted me... I almost had them beat, as the Seven Sages were with him. However the eight people combined their energies into a single attack which blasted me all the way down here."  
"They are becoming a greater threat than I thought. We need to put an end to them somehow..."  
"That is for certain. It's either that or have the group perish by our hands again... or they could die at their own hands..."  
"How do you mean?"  
"Let's give Dark Link and Dark Zelda some more friends..."

Cremia smiled as she watched her sister Romani, having done whatever she could to cure the fever that Romani was suffering from. So far, nothing else of interest has happened, not even the Gorman Brothers trying to harass her this time, allowing her to focus on helping her younger sister to get better. The results were paying off; no longer was Romani sweating or crying or even suffering from the fever, the color had returned to her face and given the way how she feels right now indicates that Romani was making a swift recovery. It brought very much relief to her to know that Romani was just going to be fine, allowing her to stroke Romani's head while she slept, taking comfort in the fact that everything would be alright after all.

Sakon in the meantime smiled as he finally was done with his work, hoping he would get revenge on that forest kid and his accomplices this way. He had set up his new security system to where he believed it couldn't be broken this time, as his old system failed as the Sun's Mask was taken from him by that forest kid and the kid he stole the mask from in the first place. He would see to it that this time he would be pulling the shortest straw and emerge victorious, so he could once more steal things without being interfered or otherwise interrupted. He had to make his own living after all as he was dependent on his earnings of the Curiosity Shop too, coupled with the other things he had stolen and kept for himself. It would only be a matter of time before he had completed his work, the pests being dealt with and he being free to do what he wanted.

Deciding to call it a night, the group decided to go to bed early in order to get fully prepared for the following days, where they could do what is necessary to prepare themselves for the journey towards the latest outpost that Ganondorf and Majora had set up, from where they would launch their large scale invasion of Termina and bring that land under their control like they had control over Hyrule. While Darunia used his own way to sleep, the others went into their respective beds, although when Link briefly woke up for a moment, he spotted Saria lying right next to him, vast asleep and with her face turned to him. Making him smile, he made the best of it and fell back asleep swiftly, although at first he had a bit difficulties doing so… it made him think about a nightmare he experienced only a few days after he returned from Termina during a sleepover, where he dreamt about himself and his friends being in Termina Field, only to be greeted with the sight of the Majora-possessed moon falling on top of Clock Town's clock tower, making it collapse as the moon utterly crushed the town, killing all of its residents before the fiery shockwave was released from its impact, lambasting all of Termina's surroundings and incinerating Link and his friends in the process as the Terminan Apocalypse concluded. Thankfully it was just a dream as this disaster was averted, but it was definitely confirmed that, despite his courageous bravado and his determined demeanor, Link was STILL a child and has lived through horrors that not even an adult would wish to experience. It made Link more or less extremely relieved to know that he always had friends to rely on even in the darkest of times, especially the ones he had made during his travels in Hyrule. While he loved all of his friends dearly and would come to their aid no matter what happened, there were so far two whom Link had grown very attached to, Princess Zelda being one of them. He smiled as he remembered the times they had fun together, playing the games in Hyrule Castle Town (Bombchu Bowling being a personal favorite), fishing in the lake and generally catching up on things together. While he definitely enjoyed spending time with Zelda, it was Saria whom he also had grown close to as, especially during his time in the forest, she was the one capable of chasing his nightmares away and giving him the comfort he sought in his hour of need, just as much as he provided her with the same shoulder to cry on if Saria needed an outlet for her sorrows. This special kind of friendship also earned him the initial ire of Mido, whom had taken an interest in Saria himself, but felt that Link was trying to steal her away from him, just because he was different from them. It was one of the reasons why Mido still saw Link as an outsider and never really accepted him for who he was until his return from Termina, where words of his deeds spread throughout the land of Hyrule. It also helped that, during his travels back and forth through time in his attempts to avert the Future That Almost Was, that memories of those events were replicated within his own mind as well as those of the Sages, effectively changing them to a degree. It shocked many Kokiri to see Saria becoming far more serious as well as very nervous during Link's initial time in Termina, which in turn explained why she was so elated when Link returned to them. Thankfully none of the Kokiri bothered to question it all, but found it rather strange that Link and Saria both spent a lot more time in the Sacred Forest Meadow together. With all those memories returning, Link couldn't help himself to hug Saria close before falling asleep himself, making Saria stir, but she remained asleep as well…

The next morning, the group went to get some breakfast together, wanting to be refreshed before they went on to their zealous training mission, having decided to check out the Swordsman's School first in order to sharpen their skills with their blades. At the same moment, Ganondorf and Majora went inside their tower to push their own plans forward to ensure that their will would be spreading further around Hyrule and Termina. With the heroes out of Hyrule, they decided to first expand their influence in there by strengthening their existing strongholds there, before moving on towards Termina itself, knowing that the sanctuary the occupied there already would be enough to give the group trouble and in effect buy them enough time to finalize their plans for total domination. Perhaps it would finally be the realization of their dreams, to rule over everyone of the world or otherwise destroy what can't be taken. Already Ganondorf was somewhat looking forward to what could be the final confrontation, envisioning him holding Link and Zelda both high in the air, standing among the fallen bodies of the Six Sages, to extract their respective Triforce pieces of Courage and Wisdom respectively, before impaling the both of them on his sword to deal the death blow, watching with glee as the hero and the princess's death throes ceased forever, before tossing their bodies as well as those of the Six Sages into an abyss or otherwise a pool of lava so they would never be seen again. Still, there was the imminent threat of what the Fierce Deity posed, so Ganondorf felt that its power could be of use to him, unaware of the ritual that had taken place of purifying it by his arch nemeses. He simply felt that all the power that Link and Zelda both and by extension the Six Sages had in their possession should be his and his alone, so he could use their powers to enforce and enact his will all over the world, woe and behold those who dared to oppose him as they would be met with severe punishments, even the death penalty... All in all, Ganondorf knew that in any of the upcoming days the fate of Hyrule and Termina both, as well as that of the world itself, would be decided. This, coupled with the visions that Ganondorf had in front of him, proved more and more that he was evil and rotten to the core, not letting anyone stop him from achieving his goals. He chuckled as he watched Majora going off to instruct the forces present to guard their primary stronghold to guard it with their lives...

While Ganondorf and Majora were making their own preparations for what could be the greatest battle, Link and the Sages have proceed with their training together, holding a massive sparring session together inside the Swordsman's School, not just one, but multiple whenever their bodies allowed them to. At a few occasions, Saria and Zelda urged Link to take a rest, proclaiming their admiration for Link being so determined to keep fighting or training despite the injuries suffered, but advising him to rest as well, otherwise he would be too exhausted to continue with the overall mission. Thankfully, Link heeded to the advice of his friends, knowing that him continuing to get up after a beating did impress his friends as well as annoying his enemies to no end and telling his friends that this was also a force of habit on his side, which his friends didn't mind. It was as if the Hero of Time and the Sages had no secrets between each other, having an understanding of each other that would help in backing each other up. Impa on her turn was able to fight on equal terms with Nabooru; even though the latter was very agile and moved swiftly for incoming strikes while being ready to block another strike with her other blade, the former could make use of her ability to teleport to get in a few sneak attacks of her own. Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto had at one point sparred with Darunia. Even though Darunia did receive some damage, he was very good in hand to hand combat, mostly in being able to repel lighter sword strikes effortlessly with his hands. Of course, Darunia held back on the power in his punches as he didn't want to hit the children too bad, but it was still enough to have them double over at times or have them struggle when blocking the attacks. At first, both Link and Zelda did hesitate at such an attack as Ganondorf brutally manhandled the both of them with his vicious gut-punches, but Darunia gave his word that he held back on his strength on that part, a word that he kept with vigor. At the end of a rather vigorous training day, Link and the Seven Sages were resting up in the Infirmary of the Training Center, their wounds bandaged and healing up quickly thanks to drinking a bit of Red Potion. It was rare to see them actually having a good time while they were fully aware of the crisis going on, but then again, having something to keep the mind a bit occupied instead of worrying all the time was healthy after all. It also took their minds off of what has happened to them so far, which in turn allowed them to maintain their focus and not get hindered by what's in the past.

Reimu and Leia managed to reunite the Graveyard Boy with his mother, whom blinked at seeing the two Gerudo women bringing her boy back, even more so that, upon finding him, the Gerudo sisters have been looking after him while escorting him to where his new, temporal home was and guarding him with their lives. It was something that did have the desired result of the village people respecting the Gerudo for this. While they understood that some of the villagers remained distrustful, it did show that there were Gerudo who were honest and had it in their hearts to do what they believed is right. The fact that Reimu showed proof that she, her sister and their unit had sworn fealty to the Hyrulean Royal Family through a note Princess Zelda had given her before their departure after the latter's resurrection convinced most of the villagers and the guards present that these Gerudo did harbor no hostile intentions and refused to accept Ganondorf as their ruler, going against Gerudo laws in the process. As an act of good faith, the Gerudo decided to stay in the village, effectively bolstering the numbers of the remnants of the Hyrulean Army whom were assigned to guard the village of refugees, something that was appreciated as the Gerudo were known for their agility and their professional to excellent skills with handling weapons, the glaives and dual scimitar swords being favored, although some did take up archery without trouble.

Upon their return to their room in the Stock Pot Inn, Link and the Sages were conversing together as they were resting up from their training. While they did sport several bandages here and there, these were only for minor cut wounds on their arms and legs, which weren't severe enough to be put in plaster or, in case of the arms, having to be worn in a sling. As they were talking, each of them felt shivers down their spines... Remaining silent for a moment, the Sages wondered why there were shivers down their spines like that. However, Link wasn't stupid and knew exactly where it came from. It was the kind of shiver that he had felt many times before, where one could feel as if they were surrounded by bloodlust or death, which in turn caused Link to look out the window to the east side of Clock Town. As the Sages looked outside the window with him, they could see the Milk Bar to the east and the Town's Wall that surrounded the entire town, complete with guard posts and everything. But that wasn't what they were specifically looking at; their attention went beyond the town walls, as in the far distance the high, looming Stone Tower and its Temple were towering high in the sky, which meant that they were looking straight in the direction of Ikana Canyon. Immediately, as they gazed upon that area, the Sages knew. All of them had information about the area, but so far, only Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru have actually been there before, if not for a short time. But even then, each of them knew all too well about the area itself... after all, History about the different lands of the world did spread to keep the many nations informed on the other nation's movements.  
"Ikana..." Link began.  
"... a cursed, inhospitable land..." Saria continued…  
"... a land where the stench of death is overwhelming..." Zelda continued.  
"... where those who live have no business there..." Ruto said.  
"... where the foolish ones will eventually join the ranks of the dead..." Nabooru added.  
"... where they will be plagued by their own regrets and misery..." Impa continued  
"... for trespassing in an area stained with a history of darkness, drenched in blood..." Darunia added  
"... And to this day it remains a place where troubled, regretful spirits gather..." Rauru finished.

"Strange... how one land could be so... embroiled in such a dark, menacing history..." Zelda said sighing.  
"Indeed, coupled with the fact that the land itself was cursed... in fact, I also met a cursed Sharp there..." Link said.  
"Sharp? As in one of the Composer Brothers?" Zelda asked.  
"His name was Sharp, but he was not of the Composer Brothers in Hyrule... when I confronted him in the Spring Water Cave, he played a death song that he composed, known as the Melody of Darkness. Anyone who listens to that will have their life force sapped away until they have joined the ranks of the dead. Thankfully I used the Song of Storms to lift the curse from him when he tried it on me, but still..." Link said.  
The others nodded in understanding.  
"And I'm definitely NOT looking forward to travel through these lands again; the Shadow Temple and the Kakariko Well are nothing compared to Ikana." Link then said, making even Impa shudder...

"Any word on the Stalfos Commander?" Ganondorf then asked a Garo that was under his control.  
"He's dead, Master. He fought well and injured the group good using his four weapons on his four arms, but the forest kid suddenly transformed into this grotesque being that completely decimated the Stalfos Commander, cutting it apart. I left before any of them could notice me to bring you this report." The Garo responded.  
"Hmmm, you've done well. This confirms the threat that the being poses to our strongest troops if it can disable one of them like that so soon." The King of Evil said, obviously thinking about it.  
The Garo nodded as it vanished, its report completed. Ganondorf looked down at his hand, the Triforce of Power still brimming with life as it always had been. He then grunted, as he rubbed over the scars that were still present from the wounds that Link and Zelda had inflicted on him before he dealt the, albeit temporal, death blow to them. He was annoyed at the fact that those wounds actually still bothering him, even though they had already healed over...  
_'Why are those two scars bothering me so much?! They already have healed over, yet they still make me flinch whenever I touch them!'_ He thought to himself as he touched them.  
"Ganondorf." A voice then said.  
"Majora... what news do you bring?" He asked.  
"Your new armor is almost ready. It'll be infused with magic so it will protect you also from magic attacks as well." Majora said.  
"Good, that saves us some trouble..." He said, nodding.  
"So, what are you planning now?"  
"We'll continue to make the preparations for the arrival of our 'friends' and prepare the proper site for them on top of the tower." He said.  
"And if they manage to best us there?"  
"Then we'll take them to a different place altogether for a TRUE final showdown, of which only one party can return..." Ganondorf said, smirking.  
Majora couldn't help to chuckle at this, apparently enjoying the kind of sadism that Ganondorf was displaying, liking what he had in mind for them...  
"First we'll 'test' them inside that sanctuary, to see if they TRULY can overcome the dangers inside. They seem to make a habit of changing the impossible to the possible, so it's only natural of us to see if they truly have the courage needed to overcome the dangers..." Ganondorf said.  
"This is true, so we'll make sure to put ALL of their abilities to the test... along with some new ones..." Majora said.  
"Let's depart for the sanctuary to make the final preparations." Ganondorf said, nodding as he got up.  
Majora nodded before he and Ganondorf left, using their own teleport magic to make it work.


	29. Chapter 29: New Skills

_Chapter 29: New skills_

The next day, Link and the Seven Sages have resumed their training in Clock Town after they visited the Great Fairy of Magic in North Clock Town whom had healed their injuries which had not healed (completely) over during the night, revitalizing them to continue their training. Going back to the Swordsman's School, the instructor then approached the group, presenting dummies while also having a sword of his own with him.  
"Your skills with the sword are improving swiftly, but are you truly ready to learn the techniques that will come in great use?" The Swordsman said.  
"Everything we can need or use to bring peace back to Hyrule and Termina and beyond will be helpful." Link said.  
"You have a courageous heart, young lad. I can see that you and your friends will stop at nothing to achieve your goals in your quest for peace and prosperity. Then these special, advanced sword skills will come of great use. Use them well and make your enemies tremble in fear!" The Swordsman said as he set up the dummies around, with Rauru and Darunia helping.  
The others watched, their blades ready as they waited for instructions. Even Impa decided to pick up some new skills of her own in this.  
"Now, learn quickly and learn well, for the cost of failure is death." The Swordsman then said as he stood in the center with his own training dummy.  
The group watched as he cast a magic spell to animate the dummies, yet kept them docile for the time being.  
"Enemies that are filled with energy will quickly recover and continue to attack, even when stunned by a powerful strike. To prevent this, the secret technique known as the Ending Blow will cease these attempts before they can do so." The Swordsman said, before demonstrating this by first knocking his dummy down and finishing it by jumping in the air and plunging his sword into the dummy's chest by using a down-thrust, ceasing the dummy's movements as its magic power ceased to exist, giving the perfect illusion as if he had killed an actual enemy using this.  
The group who were wielding this watched with their full attention, intending to make good use of this technique in order to bring their most hated enemies down.  
"Now, put what you have seen in practice to learn." The Swordsman said, stepping back to give room for the group to perform the Ending Blow themselves.

After a few minutes, the group managed to get used to and performing the Ending Blow technique flawlessly, before the Swordsman replaced the damaged dummies with new ones.  
"Good, very good. You have mastered the secret technique known as the Ending Blow. But now it is time to learn more." He said as he prepared his own dummy.  
Link, Saria and Zelda were equally determined, ready to follow the instructions right away. Then the Swordsman spoke again.  
"No matter how well-tempered a blade is, if a foe is clad in armor and bears a shield, the sword will do it no harm. When facing such a foe, you must thrust your shield against the defenses of your enemy, causing the fiend to recoil. This technique is known as the Shield Attack." He said, demonstrating it by letting his dummy attack him, only for the Swordsman to bash his shield into the face of his dummy, making it recoil and stunning it.  
This in particular caught the interest of Link, as he had previously used his shield only to deflect and reflect projectiles and, when he had the Mirror Shield, light or magic, but he never thought the shield could be used as a weapon in a way too.  
"This Shield Attack can also help in deflecting incoming attacks that may threaten to pass over your shield." The Swordsman said, before leaving the group to practice this again.

As the group was training together in their new skills, Cremia and Romani prepared themselves to deliver another cargo of milk towards Clock Town, locking the gates towards their home and the barn as well as shutting the gate to the ranch, where two Guards had taken on their position to guard it. As the sisters went underway, Romani discovered the Circus Leader's Mask in the wagon, deciding to put it on for the trip, unaware that it showed a crying face. As they were underway, they were once more forced to take the detour across the Gorman Brother's Race Track, but as the Gorman Brothers went in pursuit, they spotted the Circus Leader's Mask, which in turn made them unable to attack due to the emotion that the mask showed affecting them, much like how Link tricked them before during a similar trip he made with Cremia to defend her cargo.

"Two techniques are learned so far," The swordsman said after another few minutes, "but there is still much to learn. If you can successfully learn five more techniques here, then you will receive something good."  
Nabooru wondered if the techniques she learned here could eventually be combined/mixed with existing ones to add variation to it, making them more formidable. She mused that this could be put to the test once the group departs for their main objective and destination.  
"While the Shield Attack may be useful to stun enemies, it is useless against those enemies who rely on a full set of armor on their bodies for defense and not just a shield. Such enemies may put the focus on defending against frontal attacks, but in turn leaving their backsides wide open. This is where the Back Slice comes in; roll past your enemy and strike the enemy from behind." The Swordsman said, demonstrating it by targeting the dummy, rolling around it so he ended up directly behind it and delivering a jumping slice to stab the dummy in the back, with the group watching on in interest.

Cremia and Romani managed to pass through the Gorman Race Tracks without problems, their cargo still intact. This in turn made Cremia very proud of Romani, hugging her sister in gratitude.  
"Thank you, Romani, you did good today." Cremia said, smiling at her sister after the latter put the Mask away for good measure.  
"No problem. Romani is happy to have helped big sister." Romani replied, still referring to herself in third person, being happy.  
"Let's go back to the ranch after the delivery's done; I'll make a surprise for you tomorrow." Cremia said.  
"Yay, Romani's happy!" Romani said, cheering happily while Cremia looked on in amusement.

"You are doing very well in mastering the skills," The swordsman said about 30 minutes later, "but remember that this is only the tip of the iceberg."  
Link nodded, being ready as the swordsman set out another dummy.  
"It is impossible to circle around and perform a back slice against fully armored enemies that move swiftly in combat. Against such foes, you must first use a shield attack to make them flinch, but then quickly leap into the air over the enemy's head and greet them with your blade by immediately striking from behind." The Swordsman said, knocking the dummy first in the face with a shield attack, before jumping in the air over it and striking the dummy's head in a vertical flipping motion, landing behind it which in turn gave him a possible chance to attack from behind.  
"This is known as the Helm Splitter." He said after getting up, leaving the group once again to learn it.

Reimu and Leia helped the remnants of the Hyrulean Army to rebuild and repair the destroyed or damaged homes during the attack on the Village of Refugees that led to the capture of most of its inhabitants, while also setting up a more reinforced wall around the critical parts from where the enemy could invade, using Scouting Parties to raid the Forest Outpost which was cleansed from enemy presence by Link and the Sages before, effectively re-arming the villagers and the soldiers to give them a more decent fighting chance. Another thing was that, whenever there was time, the Gerudo and the Hyrulean soldiers were training together to be more efficient in combat. This in turn made the Gerudo present abandon their initial policy that all men, except for their King, were useless completely; while Link did gain respect from the Gerudo in his own stead, this was now a more generalized stance as the Gerudo had no problems with bringing the males up to speed to be more efficient, while also giving the wives and mothers or other women present in the village pointers to defend themselves and their children for one, although they did understand whenever someone was too old or too injured to even do such a thing; instead the Gerudo still took care of them as if they were one of their own. This in turn showed more than enough proof to the villagers that these Gerudo were far different from Ganondorf as a whole; where the normal Gerudo only did what they needed or had to do in order to survive, Ganondorf was way more cruel by stealing from women, children and even killing people, something that was against Gerudo standards as a whole. However, due to Gerudo laws stating that the only male Gerudo born should be automatically their king, the Gerudo had no choice but to obey his will, no matter how much they disliked what he was doing. Now that they had more free them to voice their own opinion, they openly told the villagers they would rather have the King of Hyrule as their ruler as opposed to Ganondorf, effectively forsaking their 'official' leader for someone who is more honorable, wise and above all more respectable, something that the villagers could appreciate.

"You're picking up on the skills better than I expected. Now it is time to master the more harder skills." The Swordsman said after another half an hour, as well as after allowing the group to have a break, giving the swordsman time to set up the latest training dummies.  
Link and Zelda both smiled, feeling that they have made quite the progress. Saria wiped some sweat from her forehead, but was ready nonetheless.  
"The ways of the sword are known to many creatures, and some have strengthened their guards against shield attacks and back slices. Should you encounter such a foe, the mortal draw that I am about to teach you is most effective. You must sheathe your sword and cast aside the most basic of sword skills, the targeting or focus on an enemy. You must wait until your foe is upon you... Then, before the enemy can see through your ruse, you must quickly draw your blade. There is no defense for this. The mortal draw deals death." The Swordsman said, demonstrating it by letting its dummy attack him while he apparently did nothing, before drawing his sword and stabbing the dummy in a blink of an eye, effectively startling the group, adding to the effect of the skill itself.

Sakon finally exited his hideout after being sure no one was nearby again, before moving back towards Ikana Valley, hoping to get the last things he needed in preparation for his work. Once it was done and he has the two he's been looking for, he would make his move to lure them into a trap and get rid of them so they won't interfere with him ever again. He didn't care how long it would take him, as long as he got rid of the pest that has been spoiling his plans for far too long, he was happy. As far as he was concerned, if his plan worked out the way he wanted, he would have no more pests to deal with and be free to continue his path of theft without anyone ever bothering him.

The Swordsman smiled after he observed the group eventually managing to succeed in the mortal draw, feeling that it was time to put another skill forward. As he gained the groups attention after a few more minutes, he spoke.  
"One of the basic sword techniques is the jump attack. It inflicts great damage, but none would call it effective against multiple foes. To perform the jump strike, prepare a jump attack, but focus power in your blade. The surge the blade releases can strike all enemies around you." He said, showing it to them as he into the air, swung his sword left and right to knock any enemies in his path, and then slammed his sword into the ground, creating a shock wave that knocked down all the dummies within range.

Meanwhile, each of the Kokiri still mourned the apparent loss of both Link and Saria, being unaware of their resurrection and the events thereafter. It was in a way for the better as this in turn gave them more reasons to remain in hiding, knowing what the enemy has done to their friends in general. So the group of Kokiri decided to hide inside the remains of the Great Deku Tree, which was fortunately cleansed from enemy presence by Link before. Some considered going in the Lost Woods, but decided against it as they still remembered what would happen to a Kokiri if they would get lost in the woods, hence they remain inside it as they saw it as their safe haven.

"You have at your disposal the basic sword technique known as the spin attack. You now have in you the ability to magnify the power of your spin attack, giving it an even wider striking range. But you can't use this Great Spin if you are weakened enough by the enemy." The Swordsman finally said, demonstrating this by channeling his own magic power and generating a wider spin attack, slashing the dummies who were about a meter or two further away, giving him more room to attack in as a whole.  
This interested Link even more, as he already knew the Magic Spin Attack, but now he could use the Great Spin to enhance that too, much to his delight. This would give him an even wider range of his spin attack and make it more devastating in general. Once more the group was instructed to practice this technique on their targets, which they did with great vigor. Darunia and Rauru both were impressed at the progress the group made, each of them making use of their respective blades as they continued.  
"Now, be ready to put all of your newly-taught skills to the test against the last dummies I'll be sending in. Show me how well you have mastered those new skills." The Swordsman then said, sending more animated dummies in the room, each with training blades and ready to attack.  
Link and his friends who participated in this saw them and got ready to continue their training this way.

Ganondorf and Majora in the meantime prepared their forces in the area between Snowhead and Ikana Canyon for the potential arrival of their enemies.  
"I never thought this place was this big…" Majora said.  
Ganondorf chuckled.  
"Then this is the perfect place to send our 'friends' to. While they are doing their best to avoid a one-time deal of lava baths around here, we'll spring forth our invasion of Termina and add its territory to our own land, so we can take it over without problems. The longer the group is held up here, the better." He said.  
"It's only a shame we couldn't kill the other Sages before…" Majora said.  
"Hm. It's only a setback, but knowing them, they would have found a way to get resurrected anyway. I don't know how they have done it, perhaps by making an appeal to the Goddesses or somehow finding someone capable of doing so… which is why we have to be sure that they will be stuck here for as long as possible."  
"I guess you're right."  
"Besides, this way we will be more than ready for them if they try to enter our domain. We will make sure that our latest stronghold will be the hardest for them to penetrate. Besides, the technology these Terminans have at their disposal have also gained a bit of interest, perhaps we can try to do something with it once we find out what use it can be for us. Perhaps we can use it for a mining operation to get resources for better weapons for us for example."  
"You really have been thinking things through, have you not?"  
"With the threat that those eight pose together, we'd better not take any chances." Ganondorf said.  
Majora saw the logic in this as he continued to work on making the enemies stronger.  
"I also saw a temple at one side of a t-junction in the lava river…" Majora then said.  
"You have? What does it contain?" Ganondorf asked.  
"On first sight, nothing. With the right equipment, everything is accessible, but no actual treasure of any sort…" Majora said.  
"Hmmm, that could be very useful to make an additional diversion…" Ganondorf said, smirking as he had gained an idea, "let's head for that temple for a moment and place some of our minions in there…"

After about an hour or two, the Swordsman finally ended the training session for the now-exhausted group, who were sweating like never before, but still standing.  
"Very impressive. You have shown me the skills that you know before and have mastered the skills I have taught you. You have completed this Advanced Sword Skill course." He said, before handing out official certificates to the group to give them proof that they have passed the course.  
"All that is needed is to write your names on it." He said.  
Nodding, the group proceeded to write their names on their respective certificates using the writing tool that the Swordsman gave to them, being the feather dipped in ink, which in turn signed and sealed the certificates, making them official.  
"Take this and the knowledge you have gained with pride, knowing that now you will have a greater arsenal at your disposal to best your enemies. All that is left to improve is yourself." The Swordsman said.  
Link understood this, knowing that the Swordsman meant that they had to keep training in order to keep their skills fresh and polished and not waning them over time, even in times of peace.  
"Thank you, sir. We are happy to have been able to follow your course and we will make sure that these skills will be of our aid in our quest." Link said, bowing politely.  
"Good, very good. May your journey be a safe one." The Swordsman said, before the group left, obviously to relax after such a rigorous training session, that taught them a whole lot of new stuff.  
After exiting the building, the group chatted along, deciding to move back into their room in the Stock Pot Inn to rest up.  
"Whew, that was quite the training session." Saria said.  
"I'll say; I never thought that this course even existed; last time I trained there was simply cleaving all the logs he popped up for me clean in two..." Link said.  
"Well, you never know what people might learn over the course of a year or so..." Zelda said.  
"That's true. Perhaps we could pass it on to our descendants over time to honor him..." Link said.  
"That's a great idea. That way we hopefully can make the Hyrulean army more versatile and perhaps even more formidable..." Zelda said.  
"What do you mean by that?" Impa asked.  
"Well, while most of our men fought bravely during the invasion as well as guarding the refugees, I couldn't help to spot a few soldiers who showed actual acts of cowardice or incompetence during battle. While I can understand that one can be frightened when put against such fearsome creatures, that's no reason to do acts like abandoning comrades or acting like total idiots in combat..." Zelda said.  
"Hmmm, you think such a training course could be of benefit for our army in general?"  
"Exactly. We could also use men who can show responsibility to be in charge of a group of soldiers and make them train to become battle-hardened for when they have to go to battle in order to defend our country. Perhaps Link can help with this..."  
"What can I do?" Link asked.  
"Perhaps you can give the soldiers or commanders some pointers in how to properly defend themselves against enemy attacks, what do you say?"  
"I'm deeply honored to be chosen for such a task. Although most soldiers may show a bit of disdain towards me considering my age and size, though." Link said.  
"Heh, you can just show them exactly what you're capable of," Zelda said with a smile, "you practically form the proverbial backbone of the group with your courageous demeanor. Besides, while you have no trouble in taking on numerous enemies by yourself, you can't be in multiple places at once and/or you may need assistance from anyone, like your friends." Zelda said.  
"Point taken. Once this is resolved and we've ensured that both Hyrule and Termina have made a full recovery, we'll bring the Hyrulean Army up to speed to make them even better and hopefully improve their overall competence and skills." Link said, nodding as the group entered the Stock Pot Inn towards their room.  
"I'm glad we're thinking on the same level." Zelda said.  
Impa smiled, finding it a correct decision to give the Hyrulean soldiers a bigger spine for when it comes to defending their home, their land and those they care about. No matter the odds, they should at least be able to do whatever they can to give that level of protection, even if it is to buy time for their beloved ones or their (wounded) comrades to make an escape if it's necessary. Besides, with these skills in hand, the Hyrulean Army can be made more diverse if each of them learns a different skill so nobody has the same set or all of them, unless they wish to give one specific skill a greater focus, but want to keep the others in hindsight, just in case.

Once back in their apartment, Link decided to take a bit of a rest; the training still left his muscles a bit sore as he did overexert them a little bit, laying down on his bed after putting his equipment at the foot-end of his bed, before he was out like a light. For what appeared to be the first time in a while, the Sages could see an expression of actual peace and calmness on Link's face as he slept, as if he was at ease and (hopefully) without nightmares. While this left the Sages initially to move to the other side of the room to try and continue to discuss their plan, they soon discovered that Saria was not among them, only for a few seconds later to spot her laying next to Link, also sleeping, finding Zelda there as well right away.  
"Well, I suppose we all rest up together..." Darunia said coyly.  
"Well, we've had a busy day after all, so it's only for the best." Nabooru said as she yawned.  
Impa smiled as she decided to take a nap herself as well, while Darunia opted to settle between the beds to keep an eye out on the whole group, while the others rested up on their beds. The Goron Leader knew that they would have some tough times coming up ahead in the following days, so it was only for the best to rest up now…


	30. Chapter 30: The long trip

_Chapter 30: The long trip_

The group woke up several hours later after a good rest, although it was actually in the evening, almost late at night. Link, Saria and Zelda all stretched out together while yawning and decided to move to the nearby bathroom to get refreshed, soon to be followed by Nabooru and Ruto. Once the others had gone to refresh themselves, they made themselves ready to go on their trip.  
"Isn't it a bit odd for us to go travel at night?" Ruto asked.  
"Normally yes, but with the kind of mission we're undertaking, time is off the essence." Rauru said.  
"Point taken."  
"So how do we get out without alerting the others sleeping here?" Zelda asked.  
"There's a door in the hallway that leads to a veranda which is unlocked all the time. It's right next to the stairway." Link said as he geared up, giving his Gilded Master Sword a cool-looking twirl before putting it in its scabbard on his back without even looking.  
Opening the door, Link first looked around in the hallway to see if no one was awake, before softly walking towards the door he talked about, leading the way for the others. True to his word, the door to the veranda was indeed unlocked, allowing the group to move out of the inn without moving down the stairs in the dark, presenting them with a view of Clock Town during the night. After everyone was on the veranda with Rauru closing the door, Link then simply jumped down from the veranda onto the street below, rolling forward as he landed, a common practice he frequently used to keep the motion in his travels while at the same time coming along unharmed from the jump, something which Saria and Zelda both imitated while Link waited for the others.  
"So, where are we going?" Zelda asked.  
"Remember that path that split up when we headed for the unknown land beyond the Woods of Mystery? I intend to investigate that path this time around to see if we can find some clues that will lead towards the area we're truly looking for. If we use our horses to travel to as far as they can go within the Southern Swamp, it should save us on that part of the walking trip." Link said.  
Zelda nodded while Link mounted Epona, with Saria hopping on the horse behind him. After the others went on their horses as well, the group went on their way towards South Clock Town and from there to the exit which led into South Termina Field, heading for the Southern Swamp.

Watching the group leave were two of the Bomber's Secret Society of Justice gang, who looked on in wonder why there were so many people moving on with Link and why Tatl and Tael followed them together with a third, for them unknown fairy. They wondered what the group was up to and where they were going at this time of night, but decided against following them. Still it was something to think about as they went on with their business, wondering if they would even come back…

Arriving in the Southern Swamp took about a few minutes, after the horses were simply allowed to run once out in Termina Field. As the group traveled through the field, they took notice of the pleasant night sky around them, noticing the many stars in the clear night sky.  
"Wow, the area looks nice out here at night. I haven't seen such a beautiful night sky before." Ruto said, commenting on the view she has of the stars and everything around in the night sky.  
Looking up, Link also saw the moon in the sky, which fortunately was at a far greater distance away as if it was in its normal orbit and also sported no creepy-looking face overall on its surface, much to his relief. Hopefully it would put the past nightmares he had regarding the celestial object to rest now that he was assured it would not come back down from its orbit to destroy everything. Saria sighed happily as she leaned against Link's back, being at peace as well. Although initially startled, Link smiled as he looked a bit backwards towards her.  
"Enjoying the trip?" Link asked his childhood friend.  
"Indeed. It feels like being able to get some additional rest underway." She replied.  
Link giggled at this as the group arrived at the edge of the swamp, before dismounting the horses so they could have some additional rest, coupled with having a vast supply of fresh spring water from the swamp around as well.  
"This looks nice enough to just walk through for adults…" Impa said, looking over the swamp as Link waded into the water until he had to swim, while Nabooru simply walked inside the water on her turn. Saria, Zelda and Ruto followed, with Ruto swimming along happily, before playfully splashing Link and Zelda with some water, causing them to yelp, before playfully retaliating. Nabooru, Impa, Darunia and Rauru watched Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto swim around happily and carefree, being carefree in that this was perhaps the last time they would be able to have such entertainment or be able to relax. Impa sighed as she was observing an obviously happy Zelda splashing Link and Zelda with water, whom returned this in kind, but all of them were laughing. Ruto was simply swimming about like a fish, refreshing herself all the way. Impa remembered that each of the children as well as Nabooru were only recently resurrected and while she mused they too remembered that, it was as if they had put those thoughts aside to focus on the task… or better yet want to leave it behind them as quickly as possible. Given that they already had stared death in the eyes before, this came as no surprise to the Sheikah woman. The entire group did keep most information concerning the Future That Almost Was to themselves, but they were nonetheless happy and relieved when the true reason of Ganondorf's approach to the King of Hyrule had been exposed, with Ganondorf himself being tried, judged and eventually sealed away to prevent him from coming back, but they didn't anticipate Ganondorf somehow acquiring the Triforce of Power after all, as if fate played a cruel joke… Impa had been discussing things with Rauru, the Sage of Light. He agreed that, in the case that the Sages are needed back in the Chamber, Link and Zelda both were the only ones allowed to join them at any time, but this wasn't just because Link wanted to be with them to spend time with them as he saw each of the Sages as great friends he made during his travels… While the Sages themselves represented the ancient creators of Hyrule, having brought forth the races that inhabit it after the Goddesses Din, Farore and Nayru had given shape to the realm and given them life, Link was seen as the protector of the lands, making sure that those who seek to harm the innocent and destroy everything in their path would be vanquished, with the Sages assisting him by lending him their powers and wisdom. Even though Link and Zelda were the only ones on the battlefield themselves during the initial final battle against Ganon himself, the Six Sages themselves have witnessed everything through Zelda's eyes and were ready to imprison the Evil King once the time was right. But now that the Evil King had broken free from his prison, using the alliance he currently maintained with Majora, Impa was certain that in the following days the battle for the fate of the lands would take place.  
"Cry woe, destruction, ruin and decay. The worst is death... and death will have his day!" She said softly, which was out of hearing range of the others, just as they went out of the swamp and entered the area that led to the Magic Hag's Potion Shop and to the entrance of the Woods of Mystery.

Cremia and Romani both had a safe trip back home, their ranch being still in one piece and none of the cattle disturbed nor any supplies destroyed. Suffice it to say, the two ranch sisters decided to call it a day and went to sleep, with Romani being happy in having made her sister proud, while Cremia was happy that her sister helped in defending the cargo. She was considering to hire personnel to look after the place in their absence. After all, being a ranch owner wasn't easy for a young woman like her, especially when the younger sister was so far the only family left, which in effect forced Cremia not only to be the wise older sister towards Romani, but also play a form of a mother figure to her.  
"Good night, sis." Cremia then heard Romani say after putting her in bed.  
"Good night to you too, sweet dreams, Romani." Cremia said with a smile, after which Romani settled in bed to sleep, before Cremia got into her own bed as well, which was at the far side of Romani's bed.  
As Cremia laid in her bed, she couldn't help but think of what has happened in the past few days, wondering if that nice young man with his four female friends were alright and would drop by again soon.

Entering the Woods of Mystery, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru led the group to where the T-Junction was in the path, remembering their trip through the woods towards the unknown land beyond it. Upon reaching it, Link went up to the other path instead, which seemed to go up in a three-quarter circle as if it was like a stairway or something. Moving up the path, they found themselves entering a large meadow with another path going up as the other areas led to a dead end towards a cliff, which in turn gave them an overview of the Swamp and the Great Bay area in the far distance.  
"That's funny; this looks nowhere near any of the fields we've been in so far…" Link said, blinking at the lush landscape around.  
"Yeah. I find it suspicious that there's no enemies around here…" Zelda said.  
"Don't jinx it, but I do agree with you on that." Impa said.  
Carefully moving towards the path that was going up, Link found himself having to climb up certain parts to eventually reach a cliff with a small building on the other side, connected to the mainland using a bridge. The building itself was sealed shut, but the wall had a big crack in its center.  
"Oh dear… it looks like a dead end…" Ruto said.  
"Allow me." Darunia said, taking out a Powder Keg he managed to take from the outpost in the forest after the whole battle against the Stalfos Commander and lit its fuse, taking it towards the wall and put it down before moving backwards.  
Right away the others went to look for cover or at least covered their ears as the Powder Keg detonated, destroying the cracked wall and giving the group access to the building in the first place. Smiling, the group continued onward and entered the building, which led into a stone tunnel.

Both Dark Link and Dark Zelda were brooding as they were left in charge of the tower during Ganondorf's absence as they had to recuperate from the injuries they suffered by the hands of their pure-hearted counterparts, giving more of a reason to kill them and take their places in turn. But they knew that this wouldn't be easy at all, given what they have gone through now… Then they heard footsteps approaching them.  
"Who's there?" Dark Zelda asked.  
"Ah, there you are. I was told I'd find you up here…" another female voice said, addressing them.  
As Dark Link and Dark Zelda looked up, they could see a girl approaching. The girl herself had the same color palette as they had, being dark gray to pitch black all over her body, from hair to toe, save only for those blood-red eyes. But the striking appearance was her body overall, wearing a shirt with striped, long sleeves and striped collar, a pair of shorts, boots that ran up to halfway her calves and hair that had a few spikes forward from behind her ears as well as a headband on top of her head… being a full, dark copy of the Forest Sage, Saria.  
"Dark Saria's the name," she said, "I was instructed to meet you so I could join you."  
Both Dark Link and Dark Zelda looked at each other, before turning back to Dark Saria.  
"Well, considering you probably have an objective similar to ours, you're in." Dark Link said.  
"Thank you. So, what are you planning?" Dark Saria asked.  
"Once these wounds have healed over properly, we have decided to train together. Apparently our goody-two-shoes selves have become stronger than initially anticipated, having bested us in combat." Dark Zelda said.  
"It's a shame that it had to happen. But with some assistance, I'm sure we'll have the upper hand soon enough…" Dark Saria said, grabbing a small plant which promptly withered into dust within her grasp.

After moving on a stone path from the tunnel, Link and the Sages arrived in a different landscape as they stopped next to a large tree to look around. Solid paths of grass and stone were spread over cliffs, connected by solid, tough wooden bridges, overlooking the landscape of what appeared to be a different side of the Southern Swamp and Great Bay area. It was a totally different sight as it was high above the actual normal ground, as they had a perfect view of the surroundings below.  
"Wow, this is really different than what we know…" Link said, looking around as he was in awe of the surroundings.  
"Yeah, I never thought something like this was even present here…" Zelda said.  
"There's a lot of things that remain unknown if we don't move around to explore." Impa said, causing Zelda to playfully punch her in the arm.  
Heading towards one of the wooden bridges next to another tree, the group took it slower and went one by one.  
"These bridges look tough, but there's no railing around them. We'd better watch our step." Link said, moving along carefully.  
"Aye. One wrong move and we'd do ourselves in instead." Zelda said, nodding as she followed.  
The group then walked over a grass path that had a safe, stone wall from a cliff to the left, but was completely open to the right, which not only gave the group a good view of the vast forest area that littered the South side of Termina, but also offered a different sight on the majestic Stone Tower area, identifying also the Ikana Canyon area below as they moved over an arc that spanned over the path towards the direction of Ikana Canyon itself.  
"Something doesn't seem right; I've never seen this area before…" Link said.  
"Perhaps some people or even Ganondorf and Majora's troops could have laid this out over some time…" Zelda said.  
"I guess you're right. It would explain why the wood of the bridges here appears still somewhat fresh and feels very tough in the first place." Link said, nodding as the group moved onward, eventually arriving at an area that had several large stone slabs that were laid out in a circle, offering a greater area for the group to walk on.  
"Well, in any case it's nice and calm here too." Saria said.  
"Yeah, we could hang out in such a place." Ruto added.  
"Indeed. Perhaps we can go here to enjoy the sun or just enjoy the sights in good weather." Nabooru said with a smile.  
Link also smiled, taking a moment to enjoy a fresh breeze that passed over the area, before continuing his way towards a stone arc that he passed underneath, leading to lush field at one end with green grass all over the ground. Directly ahead was a well and further up ahead was a lone house.  
"Hm? There is a house here?" Link asked, scratching his head in confusion.  
"Who would live in a place like this? Not that I'm against it, I'm just confused." Ruto said.  
"Only one way to find out." Darunia said, as the group approached the house.

Ganondorf and Majora finished their preparations inside the other temple, making sure that it had to be ventured through by their 'pursuers' in order to 'make progress'. While there were a few things that required the group to pass through, the whole temple by itself served as nothing more than a diversion that the two vile beings needed to springboard their own, final preparation to finally invade and conquer Termina, using the group's own plan to strike from a different angle and location altogether, as their forces have been steadily building up in the conquered Pirates' Fortress. While the Gerudo there did receive a scolding for losing the people they were pursuing, they were surprisingly left alive, just being sent to do some more cumbersome duties as punishment for their failure. Still, it didn't stop them from allowing enemy forces to build up in their fortress, using a new, fresh set of these airships that were created to first take over the Great Bay area, from where they could launch an invasion of Clock Town from the West side once a decent foothold in the Great Bay was secured.  
"Are you sure that this is going to work?" Majora asked.  
"Majora, once those pests manage to even complete the area, it would already be too late to save Termina from being invaded and conquered. Considering the size of this place would be more of an advantage to us rather than the other way around. While they believe that they can deliver a serious blow to us, we deliver an equal one by invading Termina as a whole. They'd be at the wrong place at the wrong time when that happens." Ganondorf said.  
"You got me there. So, what do you have planned for them in this temple anyway?" Majora asked.  
"That's for me to know and for them to find out… they will see soon enough. Let's say that this temple as a whole will make the Fire Temple seem like child's play…" Ganondorf said, smirking.

Upon approaching the house, the group saw that someone was standing further up ahead, close to the cliffside. It appeared to be an elderly man with a moustache, with gray/white hair at the sides, wearing a blue robe. He was clearly enjoying the view. The group approached him cautiously.  
"Um, excuse me, sir?" Link then asked, causing the man to turn around.  
"Hm? So many visitors at once, I did not expect this. What can I do for you, young man?" The man asked kindly.  
"We're looking for the entrance to an outpost that belongs to our enemies. We have heard that this outpost is located somewhere between the areas of Snowhead and Ikana Canyon…" Zelda said.  
"Hmmm, I have indeed felt the presence of evil forces in this area, although they did not bother me, as if they were specifically moving to the area you spoke of. However, there is something you must know; the area you spoke of houses two temples which are hidden amongst a vast network of lava rivers and lakes in that area. You cannot reach them unless you acquire an item that allows you to create platforms on the surface of any liquid body, such as water and lava. The item lies hidden within the starting area itself. A few other travelers did manage to explore the area in a distant past, hence my knowledge of how to cross the area." The old man said.  
"I see. It would make sense though; otherwise nobody would even know about it." Rauru said.  
"Indeed. I assume you are here to cleanse the area of the evil that has infested it?" The old man asked.  
"That we are, sir." Saria said.  
"Very well. Follow me, I will lead you to the entrance." The old man said, moving off towards the well with the group in tow.

Moving onto the well, the man then used a rope set in a block and tackle to lower the platform the group stood on down, effectively making it an elevator of some sort. Upon arriving at the bottom, the man got off first, using a lantern to lead the group into a cave.  
"Wow, this place definitely lives up to the mystery." Link said, looking around while following the man as he walked towards another bridge, which in turn gave the group a few of the far side of Ikana Canyon, with the mountain area of Snowhead further up ahead.  
"Yeah, it's like the area outside here is shrouded in it, just like that land beyond the Woods of Mystery." Zelda said.  
The man led them through another stone arc before arriving at a stone area that held a wooden platform, which looked like another elevator.  
"Go up there and you'll see the entrance to the area you seek around the corner. Make sure you are prepared well." The man said.  
"We will, sir. Thank you." Zelda said as the group went on the platform, which lifted up to take them to their destination.  
"No problem. May your journey be safe." He said before he left and the group went towards the entrance of the sanctuary they were looking for.  
The group soon found it, the entrance looking like an opened gate with a staircase in front of it inside the stone wall.  
"Well, looks like this must be it." Nabooru said.  
The others nodded, before moving up the stairway together…


	31. Chapter 31: The Lava Outpost

_Chapter 31: The Lava Outpost_

As the group entered the area through what looked like a celestial gate, they arrived in a grassy field at the edge of a cliff. Looking up ahead, they could see a volcano in the far distance, while looking down gave them a view of a lava river, the lava having an ominous red and black color in it, almost like the lava that could temporarily be walked over in Dodongo's Cavern.  
"I think now is a good time to change into our Goron Tunics." Link said as he looked at the lava river.  
"Good idea. It will at least help us resist the heat a lot better." Zelda said.

Moving away from the cliff, the group spread out a bit while changing their outfits into the Goron Tunics they received and which have been worked on by the adult Sages. Link's version was like the child-based variation of the Tunic he had worn in the Future That Almost Was while traversing through the Death Mountain Crater and its Fire Temple. While Zelda's variation was similar to the one that Saria's had, being a feminine version of Link's outfit, it retained some things that still identified her as the Princess of Hyrule, such as the crest of the Hyrulean Royal Family on the top part of the tunic. Ruto's variation was similar to the other girls, although hers had longer sleeves on the arms and long pants, making her in effect more fire-resistant as Zoras in general were very vulnerable to fire. Nabooru's outfit was like her standard attire, but now in a full red-scale palette to add to the fire-resistance. Even Rauru had forsaken the long robes he usually wears for actual pants, thinking that being in such an area would require a greater maneuverability in order to cross gaps over the lava more properly and prevent from falling in the lava itself. Darunia was already fire/lava resistant in general due to him being a Goron, thus he had no need for the Goron Tunic. Impa also had a red-colored variation of her traditional Sheikah outfit. Their normal outfits were stashed in the hammer space bag that they carried with them, to change back once they were out of the area itself.

Once they were done changing their outfits and re-equipping their weapons, the group gathered once more at the cliff.  
"So, are you ready?" Link asked.  
"Ready when you are." Zelda said to him with a smile.  
"Alright then, let's go." Link said, locating platforms they could safely jump on towards a path below and making the first move by carefully moving towards them, taking his time in a way to prevent any mistakes due to his overzealousness.  
Eventually Link arrived safely on the stone path above the lava, seeing a sign posted on a nearby wall, deciding to investigate, just as the Sages arrived. Standing at ease, Link went to read the sign, with Saria and Zelda reading along.  
_"Warning, Labyrinth ahead! If you get lost, contact Goro-rooters immediately. By decree of the Goron Elder, Snowhead."_  
"Wait, does this mean that the Gorons know about this?" Zelda asked.  
"Maybe; perhaps it could have been something important to them in a distant past, but simply faded into obscurity as time passed." Link said.  
"Hmmm, it could very well be an old mining system or an old residence or something…" Darunia mused.  
"It is possible; this place lies between Snowhead and Ikana after all and there is a Goron Settlement In Snowhead…" Saria said.  
The group moved on, jumping towards a larger and wider stone path, before they were being greeted already by several Stalfos who landed in the area.  
"Alright, time to put our new skills to the test." Link said as he got ready, drawing his Gilded Master Sword and his Red Shield, ready for defense, while the others got ready as well.

Charging on, the Stalfos went towards the group, only for Link to clock the Stalfos gunning for him with his shield, stunning it before performing the Helm Splitter, leaping over the skeletal being and slicing the Stalfos on the head as he moved over him, damaging the undead warrior in the process. Both Saria and Zelda performed the Back Slice instead, while Ruto just went for a Shield Attack before just slicing away at the menace. Darunia simply grabbed two Stalfos by the necks and smashed their heads together, crushing their skulls in the process before dumping the headless bodies into the lava, defeating them instantly while Rauru and Impa both performed a Shield Attack of their own, while Nabooru preferred the use of the Ending Blow to destroy the Stalfos she faced instantly.

Once the Stalfos were defeated, the group moved on towards the metal structure ahead.  
"Wow, those Stalfos went down a lot quicker; those new moves are indeed paying off!" Zelda then said.  
"Then we can happily conclude that our time in the Swordsman's School wasn't for nothing." Link said with a smile, before moving to hop on a spring, which promptly launched him upward towards the metal path on the structure, landing safely on it with both feet. He then waited for the others before moving on, going up a path before striking a crystal switch, which created several floating platforms upon activation. Hopping over them to reach another large stone path below, the group made their way through a small crevice into the next area, where several Lizalfos and Dinolfos appeared to attack.  
"These guys are very persistent." Saria said, narrowing her eyes.  
"So are we, Saria. Let's show 'em." Link said, getting ready to attack.

The group attacked the incoming Lizalfos and Dinolfos, making good use of their new skills to best their reptilian enemies. Both Link and Saria performed the Ending Blow, while Zelda and Ruto took their shot at the Helm Splitter on their foes. Darunia smashed one of the Dinolfos into the lava river, where it gave a short, screeching howl of agony before submerging to its doom. Impa and Nabooru just sliced and diced at the Lizalfos, while Rauru used his Light-based magic to strike several others down. Once the creatures have been dealt with, the group waited a bit to rest up before proceeding, hopping on the subsequent platforms over the lava before coming to a stop as the path ended, the only things being a broad spider's web on the ceiling and a large chest on the stone path's end.  
"This is just great." Ruto said, annoyed.  
"Relax, we'll find a way to continue." Nabooru said, just as Link opened the chest with Zelda to see what's in it.  
"That's weird, a cane?" Zelda asked as Link picked the item up.  
"There's something off about this cane…" Link said.  
"I can sense that it has magic power within, but what kind is it?" Zelda asked as she came to investigate.  
"Hmmm, this looks like one of the magical canes that exist, but it's one of those that have been faded into obscurity; only the ancient people may have known about it." Rauru said.  
"Is there a note or something on it that tells us how to use it?" Impa asked.  
"I'm not sure… wait, I'm seeing something else in the chest. It could be that note." Link said, before Saria picked it up.  
"It is. It says here that this cane is capable of creating platforms on liquid surfaces like lava and water and that the cane can be used to actually control the directions of where you wish to go, but be warned; the platform will move in the opposite direction of where the rod is pointed in." Saria said, reading the note over while Link read along over her shoulder.  
"Hmmm, at least we have the means to cross it…" Zelda said before Link moved to the edge of the platform, focusing his own magic power into the cane before using a slashing motion to make it point towards the lava.  
Instantly the top part of the cane began to glow, firing a sphere at the lava. The sphere didn't hit the lava to make it splash in all directions. Instead, the sphere expanded outward once it hit the lava, its top part becoming flat, before it changed color to match the color of the stone path around them and solidified, becoming a platform big enough for the entire group to stand on.  
"Well, at least it works." Link said, carefully hopping on the platform, which remained in place as he hopped on, not moving… not even sinking...  
Saria and Zelda hopped on right away, soon followed by Ruto and Nabooru. Everyone was a bit nervous when Darunia moved on, but relieved upon finding out it held his weight combined with theirs just fine, even after Impa and Rauru stood on it.  
"Alright, so where do you want to go?" Link asked.  
"I thought to have seen something below the spring we used to get on top of the metal building. Perhaps we can try to reach it?" Ruto asked.  
"Sure." Link said.  
"We'll help you with steering and controlling the thing, Link. We're all in this together." Zelda said, before Link thrusted the cane forward, making the platform with the group on it indeed move backwards from Link's position.  
Whatever the situation was, the group now had means to cross the lava river. Saria kept reading the note as she noticed additional instructions.  
"Interesting, it says that the cane can also generate smaller platforms on land which can be carried to wherever we want, made stuck on a post or even used against enemies. If a platform already exists at a distance away, we can use the cane to shoot at it to make it move." She said, while Link carefully thrusted the cane where needed to make it go in the directions the group wanted it to go.  
"I've heard of a similar cane capable of making platforms which could be used to hold down switches and block incoming enemy strikes," Rauru said, "it is known as the Cane of Somaria."  
"Perhaps this could be that very cane or at a variation on it that is fire/lava-resistant." Link said as he steered the platform over the lava river in the area where they first fought the group of Stalfos upon entering the area.

"This is a whole new level of backtracking altogether." Link commented as he steered the platform over the lava river, occasionally thrusting the cane on to make it move faster or at least keep the speed in.  
"I'll say… wait, what's with that crevice out here?" Saria said, noticing a crevice in the wall ahead.  
"It looks more like a cavern area to me…" Darunia said as Zelda instructed Link to steer the platform into it, which he did so without question.  
Upon arriving, the platform skidded on actual stone surface as it stopped, allowing the group to disembark as they noticed they were in a safe area, with a post up ahead.  
"Well, at least we can walk here…" Nabooru said, before Link generated the normal platform, which he picked up with Zelda and, with her aid, tossed it towards the post, where it lodged itself onto it, in effect creating a brand new platform to cross the red-hot glowing lava below towards a higher platform safely. Once they were on the platform safely, the entire group was suddenly faced with the immense heat emanating from a lava river which was red-hot and flowing fast past the platforms that could be safely walked on.  
"Good grief! This heat is intolerable!" Saria said, sweating immediately.  
"I'll say! Glad we have these tunics on, huh?" Link said.  
"You bet." Saria and Ruto said in unison as the group carefully proceeded onward, the path being safe enough to be moved over.  
Arriving at the far side of the area, there was an entrance to another cavern, but it was too high for the group to reach right away. Thankfully, Link used his newly acquired cane to generate another platform at the ground in front of its entrance as the others safely backed off, making sure the platform would stay in place, before Link safely climbed up on it and hoisted himself up into the entrance area of the cavern, with Saria and Zelda following right away. The cave itself appeared cooler as they traveled down it towards what appeared to be a dead end, only for the group to encounter a pool of water at the room they entered. Blinking at this, the group approached it wearily. It was then that, in the center of the pool, a figure appeared… it was a Great Fairy!  
"Greetings, you have come a long way if you managed to come all the way here, young warriors." The Great Fairy said.  
"Yes, we have." Link said.  
"I assume you know why we are here?" Zelda asked.  
"Of course, young princess, but I must inform you that your quest will become even harder than before." The Great Fairy said.  
"I wouldn't be surprised. Both Ganondorf and Majora are hell-bent on ensuring we meet our end soon enough, but it's not going to stop us from trying to show them who's boss." Impa said.  
The Great Fairy nodded.  
"Since you have had the courage to come all the way here, this is what I can offer you…" The Great Fairy said, before she generated an item which looked like a glove of which the plates on the back of it was either coated or colored in pure gold.  
"Wow, golden gloves?" Ruto asked, blinking.  
"Not just 'plain' golden gloves. These are a special kind of power fist, infused with attack magic. I have scattered a few of these throughout here and other locations. If you pick these up, they will enhance whatever items you have to increase your strength, like your own power gloves or bracelets, with its power so all of your attacks will become even stronger than before. But use it wisely; if you are hit by the enemy or are hit by natural hazards three times, the effect will wear off and you'll be back to your old strength once more." The Great Fairy said, before giving the group a sample of this which colored the gloves and bracelets that they already had into gold, making it appear as if each of them had an adaptation or fitting version of the Golden Gauntlets. Darunia was given a variation in the form of gloves that had golden-colored armor plates on the back of the hands, like the Golden Gauntlets.  
"Oh wow!" Link said, blinking as he felt the power moving through him.  
"Thank you very much." Zelda said, bowing to the Great Fairy in kindness.  
"No problem, it's the least I can do for you, other than soothing your weariness." She said, smiling.  
"What happens if we already have this on and we find another set of these gloves?" Link asked.  
"The gloves will retain the strength they can grant you, so you simply can't stack the power of these altogether. However it will 'refresh' so to speak, so if you pick it up, you will once again have to be hit three times before the effect wears off." The Great Fairy said, smiling.  
"Alright, thank you once again." Zelda said.  
"No problem. If you're ever overcome by weariness, please come and see me. I will soothe your weariness once you're back." She said, before vanishing as she waved the group a good-bye.  
Waving her off, the group then decided to move all the way back to where they came from, crossing the red-hot lava river and returning to the safe area, after which they hopped back on the platform they used to cross the red and black lava river in the first place, with Link this time steering the platform once again in the other direction.  
"Well, at least we have something that gives us a greater fighting chance." Ruto said with a smile.  
"That's true, but keep in mind that this hasn't changed our DEFENSIVE strength one bit, so we can still get into deep trouble if we get careless now." Impa said.  
"You have a point there. All that has changed is our attack power, nothing more." Nabooru said, nodding.  
"Still, take comfort in the fact that if we play this right, we can deliver a serious beating to the enemy." Darunia said with a smile as they approached the small tunnel to enter the area where the group fought the Lizalfos and Dinolfos on the stone platforms.  
"Wait, am I seeing another stone platform on the far side of the lava lake?" Saria asked.  
"Yeah, I can see one too. Link, can you steer it a bit to the left to get to that area, please?" Zelda asked.  
"Sure thing." Link replied, doing as he was told to do, allowing the group to reach the higher platform, climbing one by one on top of it, moving into another tunnel.

Entering the area, they saw another large area at the far side of another lava river, but this time it had already platforms to safely cross it. On the platform on the other side stood yet another Club Moblin, waiting for the group to come closer as it spotted them so it could knock them in the lava.  
"Darn, just what we needed." Zelda muttered under her breath.  
Link however took aim using his Bow and Arrows to strike the Club Moblin from a distance, with Saria aiding him soon, taking the Club Moblin down rapidly, allowing the group to cross the area safely. But no sooner had they arrived on the main platform as suddenly more enemies arrived to attack, being Stalfos and Dinolfos in this first wave, each of them ready to strike.

Without hesitation, Link and the Sages retaliated as the Stalfos went on the offensive along with the Dinolfos, with Link pulling off a Mortal Draw against an incoming Dinolfos successfully, killing the creature instantly, while Saria clobbered another one with her Shield before performing a Helm Splitter. Zelda and Impa double-teamed a Stalfos with Zelda performing a Back Slash, while Impa moved in swiftly with a Jump Strike, knocking several other Stalfos aside in the process. Darunia made use of this by crushing the skulls of two Stalfos with a well-aimed Goron Pound, while Rauru on his turn made use of his Light-based magic, utilizing it to a great effect as if the enemies were being pelted with light shining off the Mirror Shield, which was effective in slaying the undead Stalfos instantly, while the Dinolfos were also slain without problems. But this was only the start of the battle, as a couple more Stalfos and Dinolfos, this time accompanied by their lesser cousins, the Lizalfos, joined in the fray. This didn't deter the group however as they kept on fighting, their newfound strength proving to be a godsend to them. Link managed to roll past a Dinolfos, getting behind it, before clocking Saria rolling next to him as she too had rolled past a Dinolfos. Looking at each other, Link and Saria nodded, before using one hand to grab each other by the waist and both then jumped into the air, the arms holding their respective swords extended outward, striking both Dinolfos in the back together as they spun upward in a circle, creating a Double Back Slash in this kind, before landing safely on the ground, letting each other to before resuming their battle, this time Link went to engage a Stalfos. Darunia grabbed two Lizalfos and bashed their heads against each other, before tossing them over the edge of the platform they were on, making them land in the lava. Impa on his turn slid between the legs of another Stalfos to get up behind it, grabbing its head before snapping its neck and tossing the skeleton in the lava as well, before narrowly avoiding a strike from a Wolfos whom appeared in the midst of the fight with its trademark howl. Zelda came to her aid by jump attacking said Wolfos in its vulnerable backside, making it emit a death howl as it disintegrated into sheets of blue flame before it was gone. Ruto hopped on Saria's shoulders, using her as a lever to launch herself towards a Lizalfos to stab it in the head with her sword, before Link used a Helm Splitter on a Stalfos whom tried to ambush her. Nabooru made her Great Spin into a Double Great Spin due to her wielding two blades, cutting several Stalfos and Dinolfos in two and beheading one careless Lizalfos in the process, giving the group some reprieve as this brief moment of peace allowed them to regroup.  
"These guys are getting more relentless than ever!" Zelda said.  
"I'll say. This is definitely worthy of being a stronghold." Link said, just as another group of enemies landed in the area, this time being two Eyegores and two Flare Dancers, much to the group's annoyance.

The group decided to split into groups of two, with Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto moving to tackle the Eyegores, while Darunia, Nabooru, Impa and Rauru focused on the Flare Dancers. Having faced them before, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru knew exactly how to defeat the enemies here, with Darunia having heard of the Flare Dancers before, grabbing a set of Bombs to deal with them properly. The Eyegores were easily dealt with as the group used their obvious weakness to their advantage, although they had to avoid the laser that it fired this time around. The Flare Dancers on the other hand kept moving around once blasted out of their flaming suits, creating the annoyance of having to chase them around in regards to the others. Thankfully both Impa and Nabooru were swift and agile as they tackled the beasts, but this didn't make it any easier whatsoever.  
"These creatures really are a bunch of cowards whenever they're not in their suits…" Nabooru said.  
"I'll say," Darunia said, pounding one Flare Dancer into smithereens, "at least we can be more diverse instead of relying on a specific thing as a crutch if our abilities are really needed to be tested."  
"True; we've faced a lot of those trials after all…" Nabooru replied, cutting down the second Flare Dancer with Rauru and Impa, ending this fight.  
Link then saw a cage on a higher ledge and used the cane he got to create a platform in front of the platform in order to reach the cage. After breaking it, the group found a small group of Red Fairies whom had been captured or otherwise locked into the cage, causing a surprise reaction from Navi, Tatl and Tael as they approached their fellow kin for a moment.  
"Well, this is unexpected..." Link said as he hopped back down, the fairies floating around for a moment before leaving to a much safer place.  
"Yeah. At least we helped those fairies escape." Zelda said.  
"Let's get out of here and continue our trip; it's no use hanging around here." Impa said.  
Link and Zelda both nodded as they too continued on their way with the others.

Backtracking all the way to where they entered the cavern at the far side of the lake, the group made their way back towards the area where they found the chest containing the platform-generating cane, with Link deciding to climb onto the web this time, using it to steadily climb his way across the lava river below him, before landing on top of a broad metal platform, before grabbing his bow and arrow as he clocked a few Fire Keeses, deciding to take them out from a distance, targeting those who came too close for comfort. One Fire Keese tried to ambush him, but was intercepted and killed by Zelda as she soon arrived next to Link. Link on his turn created another platform on the lava, with him and Zelda hopping onto it while waiting for the others, intercepting two more Fire Keeses as Saria arrived. Once Ruto, Nabooru, Impa, Darunia and Rauru had rejoined the group, Link steered the platform casually to the other side, which was a stairway leading to another tunnel area. Walking through it, they arrived at one side of another lava river, which went down, but also having a path going up.  
"Great, a T-junction..." Impa said, while Link made the platform needed to cross the river.  
"Which way should we go first?" Link asked.  
"We'll take the upstream side first. If we are to be sure that this outpost of Ganondorf and Majora is disabled, we have to make sure that none of their troops remain alive here." Rauru said.  
"As you wish." Link said, waiting for the rest to hop on the platform so he could steer the platform up the lava stream, being cautious to ensure nothing of the lava would spill on the platform itself.

Once arriving at the top area, they noticed that they arrived at the starting point of the lava river, being greeted by an entrance to what looked like a structure buried in the ground.  
"What is this?" Zelda asked, blinking as the group disembarked as Link 'parked' the platform at one side of the pathway around the temple's entrance.  
"This looks like a Temple entrance to me..." Link said as he got a good look at the area.  
"Are you certain of this? It may not look like anything we have seen so far..." Impa said.  
"I'm definitely sure. It appears to me like it's a solid yet ancient temple or something similar..." He said as he approached the entrance, which was quite big.  
The Sages all followed him, even as he stopped for a moment to get a more decent look at it.  
"Well, here we go then. Who knows what it might contain..." Link said as he moved on to enter the Temple, with Zelda and Saria following him right away, shortly followed by the other sages.


	32. Chapter 32: The Wrong Temple

_Chapter 32: The wrong temple_

Arriving inside the Temple, Link and the Sages were startled as the entrance gate closed behind them, before looking forward as suddenly a wave of intense heat reached them. Upon investigating, they discovered that they were standing in the main room which had lava all across the floor, with a stone path to the right, a bridge and what appeared to be a very brittle door ahead.  
"Good grief! The heat is almost unbearable here!" Ruto said, moaning.  
"It would be unbearable if we didn't wear these tunics. Remind me to give a royal gift to whoever made this out of gratitude." Zelda said.  
Link got an arrow out as he spotted another Fire Keese, missing the shot the first time, but getting a lucky shot the second time as the fire bat went down. Saria noticed a face in the wall to their right that was spouting a stream of fire over the path to their right at regular intervals, meaning the group had to be careful when going over that path.  
"Looks like we need to take turns when it comes to going over that path to our right." Link said, timing the intervals between each time the face was spouting fire over the path.  
"And there's a second one further up ahead, just at the beginning of the bridge." Nabooru said.  
"Let's hope that nothing freaky will happen…" Saria said, seeing Link making his move towards some platforms, hopping over them to reach the path to the right after the fire spouts had ceased for the time being, timing the things herself to know when it was her cue to make her move.  
At the same moment, Link managed to stand on the center of the bridge and tossed a bomb towards the door, blowing it apart, before spotting a Bomb Flower to his left. Ignoring it, he moved onward in the new room where he waited for the others, who soon joined him one after another, before Link used an arrow to shoot at a stalactite in the wall, which moved as it was hit in a brittle part. He shot at it again, making it break off and fall into the lava as a makeshift platform for the group to cross over to the other side, the path leading to another lava filled room with another stalactite, another Fire Spouting Face in the wall. There were also several Fire Keeses and Torch Slugs around that had to be dealt with.  
"Well, they sure wanted to make it hard enough for us." Link said as Saria and Zelda took out the Fire Keeses, while Ruto used her Dual Boomerangs to stun the Torch Slugs in the direct vicinity to extinguish their flames and make them try to flee, while Link and Nabooru brought down the Stalactite so the group could pass over to the apparent broken bridge along the way, taking care of not to be hit by the Flame Spouting Statue's attack.  
"I agree, Brother; the Fire Temple looks tame compared to this." Darunia said as they safely crossed the path in turns.

Standing on the edge of the end of the path, Link stopped, seeing two pillars that were standing upright up ahead. He also saw two Crystal Switches around, that obviously begged to be shot one way or another. Lining up an arrow to the first one, Link fired at it, making it strike the switch and causing the pillar to fall down in front of them, creating a path across its length. Saria aided him by shooting a Deku Seed at the second switch, making the second pillar fall over as well, creating a path with a 90 degree turn to the right, heading towards a lava tunnel. Spotting a third crystal switch, Zelda hit it with an arrow, which caused a pathway to rise up from the lava and connecting it with a stairway at the far side of the lava tunnel, making it in effect a slope. Once it was fully raised, Link hopped on and slid down onto the staircase, with Zelda, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru following, making room for Impa, Darunia and Rauru to join them. No sooner had the last three joined the stairway or the slope sunk back into the lava and directly ahead up the staircase was another fire spouting stature present, but this time it was continuously spouting fire.  
"Great, how do we get over this one?" Darunia said.  
"Where there is a will there is a way." Link said, before spotting a hookshot target on the ceiling, using his Hookshot to hit it and pull himself safely on the other side of the stairs, before turning around and spotting a cracked part at the ceiling area at the exit of the lava slope tunnel.  
Link then carefully stepped to the left stopping as if he was calculating something.  
"What are you doing?" Zelda asked.  
"I've spotted a crack in the stone ceiling right at the exit of the tunnel behind you. You may want to stand aside; I'll try to reach it with a Bombchu." Link replied.  
The Sages nodded, stepping aside while ensuring they wouldn't fall in the lava, before Link unleashed the Bombchu, which scaled up the wall at an angle, going upwards towards the crack before it detonated, destroying the part of the wall and revealing yet another crystal switch. Link struck it with an arrow, which activated the switch… and turned the fire spout off, allowing the others to move up on the stairs to where Link was.

At the other side of the stairway, there was another platform which was already floating in the Lava, which Link hopped on after the others had safely passed the staircase itself, in time as behind them the fire spout reactivated. Once he stood on the platform, Link wiped some sweat from his forehead while Saria and Zelda joined him, shortly followed by Ruto, Nabooru, Impa and Rauru. Once Darunia stood on it, the platform began to move, taking the group downstream to another room further into the temple. They didn't have the time to relax however as there were several Fire Keeses up ahead, which Link, Zelda, Saria and Ruto all shot down before they could inflict any harm on the group. The Platform eventually came to a stop in front of a pathway leading to a way up to a higher floor.  
"This place feels linear; there is no map of the place around, yet so far we seem to be making progress…" Link said, scratching his head.  
"Yeah, I wonder if we're actually supposed to be here." Zelda said.  
"I guess we'll find out one way or another." Saria said as the group got ready to progress, only to see several Red Bubbles jumping from the lava to and fro, meaning that they had to watch their step to avoid being hit.  
"YIKES!" Ruto said, narrowly avoiding being hit by one of them.  
Nabooru grunted as she managed to hit one of the Red Bubbles, defeating it instantly, before moving on after the others, although Link stopped at the second highest platform to take out a Skulltula that was blocking his path to the highest floor with his Hookshot to conserve arrows, before moving on into a room where he took out two more Skulltulas along the way. Once he felt he was safe, he stopped to take a breather, sitting down even, while waiting for the others, whom fortunately enough joined him soon.

"Whew, that's quite the hot run…" Ruto said, trying to cool herself down.  
Link aided her by giving her a bottle of Spring Water he took along with him, having snatched the water from the Southern Swamp, knowing that its fresh and clean appearance would do wonders. Ruto smiled at this gesture, taking the bottle with glee and taking a few gulps of it, wanting to conserve as much water as possible, sharing it with the others.  
"Thank you." Nabooru said with a smile, taking a sip of the water.  
"I wonder what is actually being held here; the place looks solid yet it feels rather empty, save for the enemies that dwell here." Link said.  
"I guess we'll find out sooner or later…" Saria said, shrugging.  
"Indeed. It'd better be something useful to us…" Zelda said.  
"We all hope that…" Impa said, smiling as she patted Zelda's shoulder.  
Darunia looked around, sitting down for a moment as well.  
"I have to admit that things really went hot out here…" He said.  
"And for some reason I believe that this is only the beginning." Zelda said.  
"What makes you say that?" Nabooru inquired.  
"Well, this place must be hiding something or else we wouldn't have gone to check it out. There is obviously something that is of importance out here… if it isn't in this temple, then maybe it's somewhere else around these parts."  
"Zelda has a point. This place looks way too suspicious too." Impa said.  
"I guess we will find out what is hiding in here soon…" Link said as he prepared to go once more, looking around at the other side of the room on a higher path, seeing another path between gaps that had to be crossed over.  
He startled for a moment as Saria and Zelda came up from behind him, standing next to him.  
"Sorry." Both Saria and Zelda said as they saw Link startled for a moment.  
"It's alright, I was a bit too focused on figuring out how to cross it without falling in the lava." He said.  
"Like judging your jumps in advance?" Nabooru asked.  
"Yeah, like that." He said with a smile.  
"The gap looks a bit too wide to cross it over and land with both feet on the platforms along the way…" Ruto said.  
"Not necessarily. In a normal jump, it would be a bit too large with the risk of getting hit, but perhaps with enough speed, we should be able to jump a bit further ahead." Link said, taking a few steps back as if he was going to build up a run to get enough speed in.  
Interested, the others went to see what Link was up to, just as he boldly began to run forward towards the gap. Right before he reached the edge, Link rolled forward, giving him a little extra speed and an additional boost as he then jumped off the edge, landing with a roll on the platform in between before following it up with a second jump, landing safely on the platform he was supposed to reach, the Red Bubble that came up from the side simply missed him and vanished as quick as it came. Link then moved to the side to wait for the others, seeing Zelda moving up to follow Link's example, safely making it to the other side as well. Saria was the third one and Ruto the fourth one. Nabooru was of course an adult and in general was able to cross jumps a bit farther than the children, but still made sure she had enough speed along the way as well, while the children made room for the adults to arrive at their position.

Seeing the path moving down a bit, Link walked down it, before hopping down the edge and landing on a stone path below, waiting for the others as he saw Saria hopping down the path, followed by Zelda, Ruto and then Nabooru, before Impa, Rauru and Darunia arrived safely on the path. Only when the group wanted to move forward, a Lizalfos tried to stop them as he landed in front of them. Link used the Mortal Draw on it to defeat it right away, only for a second Lizalfos to come in. Zelda took care of it using the Helm Splitter, before the group moved on, spotting another large platform floating in the lava ahead. But there were also two Flame Spouts along the way and two Stalactites as well. Link and Saria shot each stalactite one time each, the Stalactites vibrating, but remaining in place. Link then proceeded to hop on the platform, waiting for the others once again. Once the sages had joined him, the platform began to move onward towards a staircase at the far side of the lava room. Link then shot a second arrow at the first stalactite, making it fall in the lava to make a makeshift platform which he hopped on, using this to avoid the Fire Spout to the right, before hopping back to the main platform, with the Sages following his every move. This maneuver was repeated with the second Stalactite, allowing the group to reach the staircase unharmed. At the Staircase, Link and Zelda intercepted two Keeses which had settled on a nearby wall, before noticing that the stairway went in a t-junction.  
"Well, the entrance to the left is barred with debris, so we can't go through there…" Link said.  
"Yep. The right one is the only option." Zelda said with a nod, before the group proceeded onward on the staircase, entering a room that had three brittle doors ahead.

Once the group was inside the room, a gate closed behind them, preventing them from going back. Darunia tried to move the gate, but it wouldn't budge.  
"Great, locked in." Darunia said.  
"Looks like those three doors are our only option." Rauru said.  
Link however gasped as he once again noticed his shadow growing, rolling forward to avoid the incoming Wallmaster, which was taken out by Zelda using a jump attack. But before Link could thank Zelda, he was unceremoniously clocked to the nearest wall with a *THUD*, grunting as he landed. Zelda tried to help him, only to receive a similar treatment a mere second later, making her land on top of Link, both holding their heads in pain. Just then, Saria screamed as she was being picked up by a second Wallmaster, but Nabooru intercepted the creature before it could take Saria away, freeing the Forest Sage in the process who looked like she was about to have a heart attack. Both Link and Zelda tried to get up, only to be hit in the face together, causing them to hit the wall again, dazing them a bit, right before Nabooru, Saria and Princess Ruto also received such a treatment. Using the Lens of Truth that Link gave her, looked around right away and saw what was attacking them: not one, but TWO Floormasters, both invisible to the naked eye and had to be spotted with the eye that could see the truth!  
"What keeps hitting me?!" Zelda asked, grunting as she got up.  
"There's two Invisible Floormasters here! They're- OOF!" Impa said as she too was being hit by a Floormaster, causing her to bump into Rauru.  
Darunia on the other hand rolled up and forward, before leaping into the air and smashing the ground with a powerful Goron Pound, instantly defeating the Floormasters… but the sound of rolling/trotting fingers was heard still. Recovering quick, Impa used the Lens of Truth again and noticed that each of the Floormasters had split into three smaller ones. However, having caught on to this as he had fought them before, Link moved more to the center and used Din's Fire, encasing himself in an expanding dome of fire that left the Seven Sages alone, but was successful in incinerating the smaller Floormasters in turn. This brought a sense of relief for the group, especially Link and Zelda.  
"Now I understand how you two felt when you were being attacked by a Wallmaster…" Saria said.  
Both Link and Zelda chuckled.  
"You know, of all the mooks that Ganondorf and Majora sent after us, we hate the Floormasters and Wallmasters the most, simply because of what they're capable of…" Link said.  
Zelda nodded in agreement.  
"But the Floormaster can be worse when it's invisible, like the one whom tackled us." Zelda said.  
"Indeed… hey, your nose is bleeding, Zelda." Link said, noticing blood moving down the princess' nose.  
"It is?" Zelda asked, touching the area, only to yelp and wince in pain as it hurt badly and indeed noticing blood on her hand from the area.  
"Your nose is bleeding too, Link," Impa said as she got some handkerchiefs to nurse the injuries of the two, both wincing in pain, "that Floormaster nailed the both of you pretty bad."  
Both Link and Zelda grunted as they held the cloths against their noses to nurse it, muttering curses against the already slain, offending creature under their breaths. Impa patted their shoulders to comfort them, to which they thanked her for it with a smile.

After a couple of minutes, the bleeding finally stopped, showing that the wounds were only limited to a bruise, nothing broken so far fortunately.  
"Well, at least the doors are still here…" Ruto said, nursing her arm.  
Rauru then tossed a bomb to the right-most door, destroying it as the bomb detonated, revealing a single, small room. However, Link and Zelda's eyes went wide as they looked inside.  
"Are you frigging kidding me?!" They said in unison, right before Link grabbed Zelda and tossed himself to the side, taking Zelda with him, but rolling over so he took the brunt of the impact on the ground, just as a THIRD Floormaster, this time being visible for everyone, dashed past them in its green color, missing its target, hitting nothing in turn. Darunia made short work of the creature with a single Goron Punch, before using a Goron Pound to eliminate the three smaller versions before they could properly spread and try to siphon off any of the group's life force so they could grow back to full size.  
"Thanks, Darunia." Link said, smiling.  
"No problem." Darunia said, smiling.  
As Link helped Zelda up, the princess did something Link didn't expect; she gave him a soft peck on his cheek.  
"What was that for?" Link asked blushing.  
"For pulling me out of harm's way," Zelda said, before coming closer, whispering the next part into his ear, "and in return for that kiss you gave me back in the forest outpost."  
Link grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head while Zelda smiled sweetly, after which they went to check out the room where the Floormaster came from, discovering a few chests and pots, including a big chest. Opening the smaller chests and breaking the pots earned the group some rupees and additional ammunition of arrows, bombs and Bombchus, while Link went to check out the big chest…  
"What's this?" He asked, picking out an item that looked similar to his Hookshot, but instead of hook on the end of the chain to snatch the items, hit switches or kill certain weak enemies with, there was a set of three claws placed on the end of the chain.  
"Hm? That's different from the Hookshot we already have…" Zelda said as she got one herself.  
"How many of these are there?" Saria asked.  
"At any case enough for any of us…" Link replied.  
"We'd better take them with us, who knows what use they may have…" Impa said, taking one herself.

Once they had taken and stashed their items, the group went on to the door in the center, which was also easily taken care of with a Bomb. Inside the room there was another big chest, while a Business Scrub was present in front of it. Darunia delivered another Goron Pound to eject the Scrub from its hiding place with a squeak, before Impa confronted it.  
"I give up! If you let me be, I'll sell you some Red Potion, but it'll cost 40 Rupees." It said.  
Sighing, Impa handed over the money.  
"Thank you very much. Here's the potion." The Scrub said, presenting a full bottle of Red Potion her, which Impa accepted before the Scrub left.  
Impa then returned to the group, handing the Potion over to Link.  
"Here, share some with Zelda. It should help in healing your noses faster." She said with a smile.  
"Thank you." Link said, before he took a few gulps of the Red Potion, before giving it to Zelda, who also took a few sips of it.  
The remainder of the potion was divided between Saria, Ruto and Nabooru, before Rauru opened the big chest.  
"Oh, here's more of those golden-plated gloves that Great Fairy gave us earlier." He said.  
"Sweet, that should restore our power-charged gloves then." Ruto said, smiling as the group took the items, before turning to the third door. This time, Impa blasted the door apart with a Bomb, only for the group to be greeted with the sight of a Big Skulltula, which Saria took out with her Fairy Slingshot. But the group couldn't exactly progress; as they made a turn to the left, they were greeted with the sight of another enemy which they hated; an Iron Knuckle!

Pulling back into the main room, the Sages waited while Link used Bombs and Bombchus to lure the Iron Knuckle into the room with success, making it appear in the room, right before one more bomb took out the outer armor, allowing the group to pelt it with arrows and Deku Seeds as it charged at them, once again taking it out from a safe distance, bringing relief to the group.  
"Let's hope we can actually move on now…" Saria said.  
"You said it." Link said, laying a hand on her left shoulder.  
As Saria turned to Link, she noticed he was smiling at her, something which made her smile and also blush a little too, before the group moved on, down the path the Iron Knuckle stood on, entering a new path where they saw the path now going down in a curve, but broken up by patches of nettles which didn't look too healthy to step over…  
"Oh dear, what now?" Ruto asked.  
"This is going to be tougher than I thought… but there must be a way to cross this…" Link said as he moved forward, trying to look for where the path would go, noticing it went away with another curve to the right, but he was unable to pass over the nettles. Disappointed, Link returned to the others, only to spot something nearby.  
"What the-?!" He asked, moving closer.  
"What is it? Did you find something?" Saria asked.  
"I think so, I'm not sure what it is…" Link replied as he moved towards the beginning of a path, seeing something behind the group even.  
As the others turned around, they saw that there was something… sleeping right behind them.  
"What in the name of Hyrule is that?" Ruto asked.  
"It looks like a bigger and sentient version of the Bombchu which also has legs…" Saria said.  
"It looks surprisingly tame…" Nabooru said, scratching her head.  
"It's so big that one or two people could even sit on it." Rauru said.  
Cautiously, Link approached it and carefully sat on the sleeping Bombchu, with Saria following close behind him as she climbed up carefully as well. But no sooner had the two mounted it, or the Bombchu suddenly reared up, letting out a metallic squeak reminiscent of the Real Bombchus, before taking off… taking Link and Saria with it! Saria screamed as she held Link tightly at the waist, while Link himself had a firm grip on the Bombchu, holding onto it for dear life. Link blinked as it ran over the nettles with no problem, although doing his best to steer it along the path, before coming across a gap, which he forced the Bombchu to jump over, before making another turn to the left… headed straight for a looping.  
"Oh no!" Saria said.  
"Hang on tight, Saria!" Link said, just as the Bombchu made it through the looping safely!  
Making a jump across two more gaps, the Bombchu made another turn to the left and then to the right, crossing a stone pillar that acted like a bridge over a lava pit, before it went over a patch of lava that didn't move, headed for a final gap and straight towards a door. Jumping over the gap, Link saw his chance and jumped off the Bombchu, taking Saria along with him, while the Bombchu collided with the door, destroying it and itself in the process.  
"I… I think we have had enough jump scares for the day…" Link said as he held his childhood friend while leaning against the wall.  
"I think so too…" Saria said, shivering.  
Just then, the terrifying screams of Zelda and Ruto were heard, coming closer.  
"Oh, crap!" both Link and Saria said, fleeing into the dark area that the door had revealed for them… only for them to suddenly trip as they slid down a chasm… taking them outside on the ground above the Temple's entrance, landing on the grass with a loud *THUD*, knocking the both of them out for a moment as both made a perfect faceplant onto the ground.


	33. Chapter 33: Finding the REAL sanctuary

_Chapter 33: Finding the REAL sanctuary_

"…ink… Link? Link?! Wake up!" A female voice said.  
Link groaned as he woke up, his movements shaky, but stable as he got up.  
"Uuuuhhh… what happened?!" He asked.  
"You and Saria made a nasty fall from the exit of that temple, are you alright?" The female voice asked.  
Upon looking up, Link came face to face with a deeply concerned Zelda, while Ruto and Nabooru were treating a similarly recovering Saria. Impa, Darunia and Rauru were also present, having another Red Potion available which they had bought from another Business Scrub who was at the far side of the area itself, which they gave to the two as soon as they had recovered. This in effect relieved Link and Saria of their headache as the red potion once again proved its usefulness.  
"Thank you." Link said.  
"That was… quite a ride." Saria said.  
"I'll say. I'd rather sit on a horse; at least horses can stop and/or go slow/fast according to our wishes…" Zelda said.  
"Well, at least we've made it in one piece so far, that's what counts." Link said, now sitting upright as he felt his strength returning because of the Red Potion he drank.  
"That much is certain." Nabooru said.  
"What's with the blood out here?" Link then asked, blinking at the red patches on the spots where he and Saria landed.  
"Both you and Saria broke your noses when you landed on the floor. We had to reset the bones and had to give you the Red Potion in order to make it heal more rapidly." Rauru said.  
Blinking, Link briefly touched his nose lightly, wincing at the touch.  
"Just leave it alone; the swelling and all should recede shortly and your nose will be as if it hadn't been touched." Impa said with a soothing tone.  
Link smiled at this.  
"Thanks, Impa." He said, before chuckling a bit at the indent that he and Saria made in the grass because of their landing, making it apparent he was taking it in a good light.  
"Talk about leaving an impression." He said, causing Saria on her turn to nearly choke on a sip of water she was drinking, making Nabooru pat her back as Saria herself laughed and coughed altogether.  
Impa smiled, while Zelda went towards Link to sit next to him, smiling as she felt quite relieved.  
"So, where are we?" Saria asked after she had calmed down.  
"From what we can see, we're on a grassy path at some distance above the area of where we entered the temple." Nabooru said.  
"So, that was it?" Link asked.  
"Pretty much, although we still haven't explored the other side of the lava river yet…" Rauru said.  
"There's only one thing left for us to do here then." Saria said as she got up, helping Link up right after that, smiling.  
Link smiled back, accepting the help before readjusting his gear. Once that was done, he approached the edge of the cliff he was on and carefully hopped down at an angle, rolling forward once he landed to prevent damage. Once on the ground, he caught Saria in his arms as she hopped down, before repeating this with Zelda and Ruto, while the adults were able to jump down themselves. Once that was done, Link used his new cane to generate once more a platform on top of the lava so the group could travel onward, this time in the other direction.

Once they were on the platform and were on their way down the lava river, the group noticed that everything else had remained in place after they had cleared it, so it was for the rest void of enemies along the way. That is, until they went further down the river and were confronted by a few Corrupted Arrow Soldiers, the archers of the Corrupted Soldiers variation, which began to fire at the group with their bow and arrows. Darunia's rock hard backside proved vital as a cover, while Saria and Zelda took out the Corrupted Soldiers, although they had to look away as one of those soldiers fell into the lava, never to be seen again. Link had been moving the platform to a metal platform to give the others a more stable ground to retaliate from. Once the Corrupted Soldiers were dealt with, the group climbed on top of the metal platform, heading through a short tunnel and ending up at a path with the lava river below them; upon moving to where the Corrupted Soldiers stood they discovered that the lava river went around that area as they discovered a chest with some additional ammunition for arrows and Deku Seeds, while also containing a few bows big enough for Saria and Ruto to handle, much to their delight. Moving back down the metal path, they moved on over some metal platform to reach a crevice in a stone wall at the end of the lava river, a path leading into a dark room with stone pillars and a single lone tree present. In that area, there was no lava around, which initially brought relief to the group…

…but their relief was short-lived, because once they arrived, they could already hear the distinct moaning sound of ReDeads nearby, coupled with the unmistakable trotting sound from patrolling Floormasters.  
"Why them?!" Link and Zelda groaned as they spotted one of the Floormasters around the tree…  
"Relax, this time they're visible to us so we should be able to take care of them sooner…" Impa said in a comforting tone, understanding why those demonic, severed, sentient hands agitated both the hero and the princess.  
"Thank you." Both children said, before Link used the Sun's Song to first paralyze the ReDeads, allowing the group to focus on the Floormasters first.  
"Let's go in pairs again, so we can also watch each other's backs in case either a tiny Floormaster or even a Wallmaster tries anything funny." Link said.  
The others nodded, before moving to engage their hated enemies. The large Floormasters were easily taken care of, which left only the smaller ones which tried to first run away before boldly charging at the group. While the group focused more on the Floormasters, Link played the Sun's Song again to freeze the ReDeads again so the group could take them out without much trouble, having intercepted so far a total of THREE Wallmasters in the room so far. Link and Zelda in particular took delight in taking out the hands that dropped from above, as it had been the bane of their travels so far… Saria on her turn intercepted a tiny Floormaster which targeted Nabooru, while Nabooru on her turn took out another Wallmaster whom tried to ambush the Forest Sage in turn. Rauru used his Light-based spells to instantly decimate any Floormaster in his path, the few ReDeads that were in the way of his attacks were also taken out instantly, while Link kept playing the Sun's Song just to be sure the ReDeads remain frozen to prevent them from getting in the way.

After a few minutes, the last of the Floormasters was finally taken down, allowing the group to concentrate on the remaining ReDeads, as some of them were actually together in small groups of four. While scouting the area itself, the group also were on the lookout for any remaining Wallmasters that could be dwelling in the area, but to their relief, they found none. Once the ReDeads were slain, the group were able to catch their breath for a moment, before they could proceed onward to the ledge that Link saw, using the new cane he had in his possession to create an actual block which he, Zelda and Saria pushed towards the ledge and put it into its place. Once that was done, the group climbed one after the other on the platform and onto the ledge, taking out a last Skulltula along the way, before finding themselves outside again on a path in the open. The sight of the vast forest between Hyrule and Termina could be clearly seen in the far distance and the sky being a glowing blue. The area around them felt it was completely at peace, no single enemy in sight… and the fresh air was quite a relief from the excruciating heat they had experienced while traveling over the lava. The path itself also had patches of green grass ahead, where plants and bushes were growing as if a small portion of the forest had been able to reach the path there.  
"Well, it looks like we took out the outpost itself…" Impa said.  
"Yeah, you'd think our two enemies could be smarter than this…" Ruto said.  
"You'll never know with those two. I honestly feel much more at peace when they've been properly dealt with." Zelda said.  
"I think we all share your opinion on that, Zel. It's just not easy to get to them as it is right now…" Link said, with Zelda blushing at hearing Link's affectionate nickname for her.  
Deciding to enjoy the fresh air, the group stopped to rest for a bit, allowing themselves to relax and let their bodies calm down in a way as well… Both Link and Zelda stretched a bit, popping their necks a little before sitting down on the stone path to rest, with Saria sitting on Link's other side, while Ruto sat in front of them. Nabooru smirked.  
"My, my, Link. I never thought you'd become quite the womanizer throughout your adventure…" She said.  
"Huh?" Link asked, blinking.  
"Face it, you've got three girls sitting near you and I've seen that Romani of the Romani Ranch was deeply worried about you as well when Zelda and you were out cold back then." She said.  
Link's eyes went wide at this.  
"But… but why would they be… interested in me?" Link then blurted out, "I… I mean, sure the girls I've associated in my life so far are really good looking, no doubt about that, but why me?"  
Nabooru giggled as Link was oblivious to a furious blush having crept on the faces of Saria, Zelda and Ruto altogether.  
"Do you want to know the reason?" She then asked.  
"Yeah, I'd love to know." Link said.  
"It's simple; it's because of your heart."  
"My heart?"  
"Yep. The fact that you simply do what you believe is right to help the people out, you don't boast about your capabilities or you don't show them off like most macho men tend to do around town as well as your courageous demeanor and spirit make you well-liked by the girls." The Gerudo leader said.  
Now it was Link's turn to blush, looking nervously at Saria, Zelda and Ruto, only to see them smile sweetly at him.  
"Besides, the girls aren't the only ones… Navi and Tatl worried about you as well…" Nabooru then said.  
"H – h – hey, I am only trying to m – make the situation less stressed… it's – it's n – not I actually c – care about him…" Tatl furiously responded.  
"Oh yeah? That blush on your face is telling me otherwise, sis." Tael said.  
"Oh, s – s – shut up, Tael."

A few minutes later, the group got back up again, having rested well enough in order to proceed. Both Link and Zelda walked next to each other along the path, with Saria and Ruto behind them. Nabooru and Impa walked behind Saria and Ruto and behind them were Rauru and Darunia.  
"Hmmm, this is getting a bit suspicious…" Link then said.  
"What makes you say that?" Zelda asked, confused.  
"It's too quiet out here." Link said.  
"I see your point. It's like you're actually expecting something to happen."  
"Yeah. I'm sorry to sound paranoid, but it's just how my past adventures have been."  
"We don't blame you, kid. Considering what you have been through, it would have left a mark anyhow. Besides, we're all together in this and, given our past encounters, anyone of us would feel the same." Nabooru said.  
"Indeed; everyone of us here had to grow up quicker than expected due to the memories of the Future That Almost Was having been added to us." Saria said.  
"That is something that actually surprises me, I thought that I alone would have that knowledge passed on to me…" Link said.  
"Time travel isn't exactly a run-off-the-mill thing. I believe that our counterparts there must have transferred the knowledge they had at the time to us the moment you would be sent back in this time after Ganondorf's defeat. This in turn would explain why we initially suspected that Ganondorf was up to no good at first; your warning to me simply confirmed this suspicion and allowed us to act accordingly." Zelda said.  
Link nodded at this, seeing the logic behind her reasoning.  
"At least it allowed us to catch Ganondorf by surprise at that time, but to see him taking the Triforce of Power with him once we sealed him away here as he attacked us after his lies were exposed…" Impa said.  
"The only thing that we must do is to take that Triforce piece from him so we can restore the Triforce itself and bring peace and prosperity back to Hyrule before we end him. If he relies on the Triforce of Power so much, it will critically weaken him once we take it away. That way we can ensure he will NEVER come back." Rauru said.  
"Right. Once we have gained the extra power we need, we should be able to take them down, once and for all. That way Hyrule and Termina will be safe once more." Link said, eager to defeat the menaces once and for all.  
"That's the spirit! We shouldn't dwell in the past and let bad memories get to us; we need to focus on the now." Zelda said, smiling at seeing Link in high spirits again.  
For a few minutes, the group continued along the path, coming closer to the edge of the cliff that showed the forest in full view. But as they went on, they noticed several broken or turned over stone pillars along the path.  
"Well, looks like those fiends made a mess out of this place." Link said, carefully climbing on a pillar to move over it and gently land on the path so they could continue on their way.  
"Yeah. Why would they even do something like this out here?" Saria asked, following after Link along with Zelda and Ruto.  
"They obviously want to obstruct our progress this way." The Zora princess replied.  
"I see your point, but to do it so obviously out here like that…" Zelda said, scratching the back of her head as she moved next to Link, who seemed rather cautious now as he walked over an obvious crack in the path itself…  
Saria could have sworn she felt the path shake a bit, causing her to shiver as she walked to Link's other side, with Ruto behind her. Nabooru and Impa looked around the area, while Rauru got off from the pillar and onto the same path as the others.

Just as Darunia stepped on the path however, a large snap resonated through the area.  
"What was that?!" Ruto asked.  
Right before any of the others could answer, the path on which the group stood on began to sport more cracks.  
"Oh no… RUN!" Impa shouted.  
Just as Link wanted to run to safety, one of his feet fell through a crack, causing Link to lose his balance and land on the ground, causing the stone he landed on to break completely, falling down a hole which it previously had covered, causing Link to scream in terror as he grabbed the edge of the nearest piece of stone, trying to pull himself up, only for that piece to break as well, causing Link to lose his grip and fell down the hole, causing him to land on a lower ground with a *THUD*. This time however, Link remained fully conscious, although he was dazed from the impact. Saria and Zelda soon fell through similar holes as more parts of the stone cover broke off, eventually taking the other Sages with it as well, each of them landing on a stone pathway where Link landed on previously, with Saria and Zelda helping him up.  
"One of these days I'm REALLY going to fall apart if this keeps up." Link said.  
"You're not the only one who thinks like that…" Zelda said.  
"But wait, are we underground now?!" Saria asked.  
"It looks like it. It's like a cavern out here with lava all around us as well as a path we obviously have to go over to get out of here." Impa said.  
"Strange, this part reminds me of the temple we've been in about an hour ago, but there's no way we could be all the way back there…" Nabooru said.  
"The only differences are those stalactites and the apparent stairway thing out here…" Ruto said.  
"Well, looks like we have no other choice but to move on in here." Darunia said, while Link already begun with shooting the stalactites down to create makeshift platforms for the group, hopping over to them to where the staircase was that led to a familiar bridge, before moving to platforms in the center tunnel area, moving to a pathway that had yet another Fire Spouting Statue in the wall to the right. Waiting for the flame to go out, Link moved on towards another stalactite, with the Sages following close behind him as they journeyed onward through the hottest region of their world. A bigger stalactite was shot down which the entire group could stand on, which carried them over the lava towards a bridge which the group climbed on, shooting down two pillars through its connecting Crystal Switches to make a makeshift path that led towards a net spanning over the ceiling area, this time having rotating Fire Spouting Statues in the center of that net. Sighing, Link jumped up and grabbed the net, gradually making his way to the right while studying the pattern of the Fire Spouting Statue, getting the pattern of the flames down and making sure he was between the fire streams without being hit. Once he made it safely to the other side, Link let go of the net and landed on a stone bridge spanning the room right below, shooting at another Crystal Switch that brought a third pillar down while he waited for the others to arrive. Once the Sages had joined him, Link moved on over the now-downed pillar, before making his way up into a small room, where he spotted a grating in the ceiling.  
"Let's see how this works…" Link said as he took out his new Clawshot, which he fired towards it, the claw snagging the grating and allowing Link to shoot forward and hanging on the grating through the Clawshot itself. He carefully lowered the chain until he spotted a target for the hookshot, firing it on the hookshot and it took him towards a new platform, the Clawshot letting go and retracting back into its gun safely. The others all followed this example, although Darunia instead took a few steps behind and used a charged Goron Roll to propel himself to where the others were.

Once they had gathered once more on a pathway, Zelda shot down several stalactites to make a makeshift path, while Saria shot down a 4th pillar with the same crystal on it to make it easier for the group to pass over to a more solid path. This led them upward to a floating platform containing a cage, which released fairies after Link and Saria broke it, much to Navi, Tatl and Tael's surprise. The three fairies on their turn had remained silent and/or sought a hiding place to escape the heat while following the group. The group itself then hopped on another platform that was floating on the lava, which took them over a vast lava pool while on the way the group avoided two more Fire Spouting Statues.  
"Wow, I never knew this place was so complex… it really is like a labyrinth." Link said as the group moved along.  
"Indeed. The worst thing is that there's no map around, so we have no idea where we're going." Zelda said, nodding as the group approached three stone platforms.  
"Oh, low bridge!" Impa said.  
Timing their jumps carefully, the group got on the platforms and hopped back on the floating one before they would miss it and become trapped. Link also shot down more of the Stalactites after they went over the final platform, the four stalactites total giving the group a path towards a staircase.  
"Oh man… any deeper and we may reach the planet's core…" Ruto said.  
"That would be a bit too deep, but I see what you mean…" Impa said, before the group moved on the staircase and entered the open, dark hallway, right before they went on a slope, but this time they were more prepared and maintained balance as they slid down the path along the way…

The group slid down the path and entered a very large and wide lava room, with a path going in a reversed 'S' pattern and two flame-spouting statures which rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, meaning that the group had to jump over the flames to avoid them. Moving along the path as best as they could, they jumped over the flames before hopping over the gaps between the smaller platforms, before climbing a ladder to a higher floor of the room, using the Hook- and Clawshot targets to take them to the different platforms that were present.  
"Is it me, or are we going in a U-turn here?" Saria asked.  
"We are going in such a turn, kid," Nabooru said, seeing a large chasm at the far side of the room they were headed to, "Whoever designed this must have been quite inventive. I never thought that someone would even be able to make something this big."  
"I think I may need a word with the Goron Elder in Snowhead. If this is supposed to be a mining facility, it definitely lacks maintenance with the broken paths and everything, provided he knows about this in the first place." Darunia said.  
"Do you think this place could have been here for a long time?" Rauru asked.  
"I consider that a decent possibility, seeing the state of the area itself as a whole…" Darunia replied.  
Eventually landing at the platform at the edge of the chasm, Link first moved to feel the platform, feeling his hand easily sliding over it.  
"The path is slippery… and considering how wide this path is, this could be risky…" He said, getting back up.  
"But this is the only way we can go on, right?" Ruto asked.  
"It is. I suggest we go in turns and wait several seconds between each other before we go. That way we won't run the risk of bumping into each other along the way." Link said.  
"Good idea. It gives us room to react accordingly in case one of us messes up or slows down…" Darunia said.  
"Alright, let's see where this heads to…" Link said as he went in first, mostly to keep his friends safe by scouting the area for them as he hopped from the platform, landing on the slope which caused him to slide down along the way, automatically hopping from platform to platform once he reached the edges.  
"Whoa! This goes quite fast- what the- ?!" Link then said, right before he slid right on top of another legged Bombchu, which instantly took off with him on it.  
"Ah crud, not this again?!" Link exclaimed as he was headed right for a looping when the Bombchu took off, the Bombchu making it safely through the looping.  
"Whew, for a moment I thought that was going to- OH FOR THE LOVE OF FARORE!" Link then exclaimed as he went onward, heading straight for a SECOND looping as he went on, also making it safely, before he went towards a door.  
Link jumped off the Bombchu before it collided with the door, blasting it open in turn, which in turn allowed Link to pass through the door, before he sat down in a safer part of the room where he waited for the others. It took about two minutes before the group was reunited again, each of them having been riding a legged Bombchu in turn, having done their best to stay on the track of where Link had gone to.  
"Well, at least we made it through here safely…" Ruto said after the group calmed down.  
"Yep, now it's only up to us to continue on this trip… I wonder if we'll be reaching the exit anytime soon…" Saria said.  
"Only one way to find out." Link said, hopping down the hole, with the others following him.


	34. Chapter 34: Going deeper

_Chapter 34: Going deeper…_

Link and the Sages landed on a platform with a lava tunnel directly ahead, on which Link took out his cane to make a platform appear on the lava. But before he went on it, he went to observe the path ahead.  
"Good grief, this goes even further down…" He said, noting the downward streaming of the lava and the curve ahead going downward…  
"I'll say. This requires a lot more caution." Zelda said.  
Darunia nodded.  
"We need to help Brother Link with supporting him as in keeping his balance while steering the platform, perhaps we can even aid him with it directional-wise…" Darunia said.  
"A great idea; one mistake could make all of us become one with the lava." Impa said, causing Link, Saria and Zelda to shudder at the mere thought of this.  
"If we concentrate our powers on this, I am confident that we will make it to whatever destination lies ahead of us alive." Rauru said, to which Link nodded, regaining his composure rapidly.  
"Concentrating our powers, as in sharing it?" Ruto asked.  
"Yes, at least on the focus." Rauru said as the group got on the platform, with Link on the back. Being the heaviest, Darunia stood in the center and was able to use his posture to be the center of the area for the group to have a good grip on.  
"So, are you all ready?" Link asked.  
"Yeah. Let's make a go for it." Zelda said.  
"We'll support you in this, Link." Saria said.  
"Right. Well, here goes nothing." Link said as he thrusted the cane forward, making the platform with the group on it move on the lava, in effect creating a trip one would make with a raft down a river, but with water instead of lava.

As they went down that lava path, the group would come across patches of lava that were a bright yellow in color with flames appearing from its surface.  
"I believe those patches are WAY TOO HOT for this thing…" Ruto said, gulping.  
"Indeed. Make sure to avoid them at all costs!" Rauru said.  
"I'm doing the best I can, just be my eyes forward on this one!" Link replied, thrusting the cane where needed, with Saria and Zelda helping him in directions per instructions of Nabooru and Impa, while Ruto was shivering.  
Thankfully, the group made it past a curve down to the left, before approaching another one which went back to the right while still going further downward. They safely avoided the patches of the yellow lava, but their troubles weren't over yet…  
"We're approaching a lava-fall!" Impa exclaimed.  
"Everybody, hang on!" Darunia said, pushing his weight down in the platform while holding a grip on everyone's hands as the platform went over the edge of the lava-fall and fell down it, fortunately the platform itself remained in an upright position with the group on top of it, which in turn ensured that they made it safely down it.  
"Whew…" Ruto said.  
"Don't rejoice too soon, Ruto; there's another ride downstream coming up!" Impa said.  
"And why are there holes in the walls ahead?" Nabooru asked.  
The answer came soon enough as what appeared to be tentacle-like vines burst out from the wall, becoming an actual hindrance like nettles or parasitic tentacles. Thankfully, Impa and Nabooru were prepared as they shot the vines down while Link, aided by Saria and Zelda, kept going as the platform went further and further downstream and down a second lava-fall, arriving in a larger room where the lava was flowing more slowly, but there were patches of the incinerating hot yellow lava around further up ahead, as well as a stone platform to their left. This slow speed allowed the group to catch their breath for a moment while continuing on the lava river. But being in such a foreign area wasn't exactly comfortable for everyone after all…  
"My kingdom for a map! Just a simple map so we finally know where we are or where we are even going!" Ruto exclaimed, observing the area.  
"Relax, once we get through this, we may finally be able to find out where this is." Nabooru said.  
Link remained determined, guiding the platform over the red and black lava, using Saria's help to guide the group around the yellow lava safely, before the group came across what appeared to be a doorway with an opening the group had to climb into after disembarking from the platform on the stone path in front of the door. Saria sighed as the group came closer to the door.  
"A Rupee for your thoughts?" Link asked.  
"Nothing much, just trying to get my mind off the heat out here; if this keeps up we all will melt on the surface." She replied, to which Link nodded in understanding.  
"I think we should all take a cool dip in a pool or something once we get out of here; this way we will be able to cool off rapidly." He then said.  
"I agree."

After climbing up into the opening one by one and sliding down the path it had, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Impa, Darunia and Rauru arrived in a totally different room… The whole area was completely pitch black, with the only light coming from a glowing, golden sphere on a lower platform ahead and fire-spouting statues on a few platforms ahead.  
"Great… just what we needed…" Nabooru said, noticing the platforms were surrounded by almost infinite blackness, like an abyss.  
"Now we need to be careful that we don't fall down." Zelda said.  
"Oh, in the name of Din, you have to be joking! They REALLY spread these around to spite us!" Link then exclaimed.  
"Huh?!" Impa asked, only for Link to point out the unmistakable outline of yet ANOTHER Floormaster present on the platform that the sphere on its turn stood on, the creature just moving to and fro around the pedestal the sphere laid on, as if it was patrolling around it.  
Impa blinked at this, not exactly at the appearance of the Floormaster itself, but the fact that Zelda was audibly growling at the sight of the disembodied hand, clearly showing that the Princess hated these creatures to the core.  
"Good thing that there's a way to take these freaks out safely from here!" Link said, taking out a Fire Arrow and aimed carefully at the Floormaster, before firing the arrow, scoring a direct hit at the creature which in turn split into three… and subsequently ran off the platform to their doom in the abyss below.  
"Phew…" Saria said.  
"I wouldn't be surprised if Ganondorf and/or Majora placed these around; it definitely proves their sadism to the core." Link said.  
"I second that." Zelda said.

The group moved one by one on the platform that contained the golden-yellow sphere.  
"This puzzle again…" Link said.  
"Looks like this kind of thing is popular…" Zelda said.  
"What do we do with this?" Saria asked.  
"We'll take it with us and see where its corresponding pyramid pedestal is so we can put it on…" Rauru said.  
"But there may still be dangers ahead…" Nabooru said.  
"Then I suggest this: Some of us will go ahead and eliminate all sentient enemies around; the Fire Spouting statues can be avoided by walking between the flames so they won't be bothered by it." Impa said.  
"Great idea. That way we'll also eliminate the threats ahead and can pass onward to our destination." Link said, nodding.  
"Alright, who goes ahead?" Rauru asked.  
"I'll go first for sure; I need to let off some steam anyway." Link said.  
"I'll go with you." Zelda said, taking up arms herself.  
"Right, let's go." Link said, getting ready to tackle the dangers ahead.  
"I'll come along, so I'll watch your backs, just in case." Impa said.  
Link and Zelda nodded at this, before hopping down to a platform with the first rotating flame spouting statue, which fortunately had only one part which spouted fire out. Moving past it, Link, Zelda and Impa hopped down to an apparent empty platform, only for Impa's shadow to grow after a few seconds.  
"Impa, watch your shadow!" Zelda said.  
Looking down, Impa indeed noticed her Shadow growing and hopped to the side, just as another Wallmaster landed on the ground, which was soon defeated by Zelda herself.  
"Thanks, princess. I understand your animosity for these sneaky creatures." Impa said.  
"No problem." Zelda said, before the three moved on to a platform that had another Fire Spouting Statue, but this time with TWO sides spouting fire.  
Approaching the edge of the platform, they noticed that the final platform before the path contained TWO more Floormasters, which Link and Zelda took out with Fire Arrows while Impa was on the lookout for the flames coming up from behind them. While most of the tiny Floormasters ran off the platform or fell off of it due to the splitting, Link and Zelda used regular arrows to take out the two tiny Floormasters that remained on the platform, before they and Impa moved onto the platform, where they signaled for the others to come.

A few minutes later, Saria, Ruto, Nabooru, Darunia and Rauru, with Rauru carrying the sphere, joined the three on the last platform, after which Link and Zelda hopped on the path just below, entering a hallway. There they saw a platform already present in the lava, but at the far side of the lava ditch it was in. Link then used his cane to shoot at the platform, making it bounce off the side and float towards them. Once it was at their side of the ditch, the group moved onto the platform, after which Link used the rod again to make it float to the other side, where the group felt they had to go. Saria stretched and yawned as this went on, while the others were more eager to get out of the whole place…

Once at the other side, the group climbed up on the pathway, with Rauru handing the sphere to Darunia so he could climb up on the path, before proceeding towards the next room. Link and Zelda went on ahead, before using their bow and arrows to take out several Fire Keese that were present in the room, safeguarding Darunia as he went to place the sphere on the pyramid pedestal which the group had seen in a crevice to their left. The second Darunia laid the sphere on its pedestal, a door on the far side of the room began to turn around in a counter-clockwise direction for a full 180 degrees, making the opening now on the upside instead of on the downside. Now free to look around the room, the group looked to their left and eventually spotted a large statue that looked like an elderly person in appearance. It was nowhere near the looks of Rauru however, this one had a nigh-ethereal appearance to it, yet it was still solid. But the striking thing was that this one had an emblem on the down-center piece of its robe… the emblem that was also present on the Fire Medallion which Darunia had!  
"What the-?! Is this supposed to be a Sage?" Darunia asked, blinking as he compared the emblem with his medallion.  
"Possibly. It could very well be one of the Ancient Sages that existed in Hyrule many years before you were even born." Rauru said.  
"Wow, so this statue must have been made in its honor, right?" Link asked.  
"That could be possible, or it could have passed its initial duties on to its successor and settled to guard these parts, I don't know for sure." Rauru replied.  
"Hmmm…" Link said with a nod, thinking.  
"Hey, I found the silver pedestal; it's on the other side of this lava path." Nabooru said.  
"But where's the sphere?" Zelda asked.  
"I don't know; it's could be on a higher area or a different place we haven't been in yet." Nabooru said.  
"I see. Well then, I guess we should move to the other opening then and see where the sphere is…" Zelda said, before the group moved on, hopping over the lava ditch and moving to the opening in the door, climbing up the stairs and entering the opening, which led to another slope. Sliding down it, the group arrived in a very different lava room. While a platform was already present, the red and black lava was flowing downward, while at the sides flowed the incinerating hot yellow lava. At the far side of the room was a cracked door.

Moving on the platform, Link and the Sages carefully made their way to the door, the platform moving slowly so Darunia, Impa, Nabooru and Rauru had the chance to toss a couple of bombs at the door to make it burst. Once the door was open, the group hopped into the next room before they turned around upon hearing a bubbling sound, seeing the platform they stood on topple over into the yellow-hot lava, submerging into it in a matter of seconds, never to be seen again.  
"Yikes, good thing we jumped off of it in time." Saria commented.  
"I'll say…" Nabooru said.  
"We'd better not fall down from here either…" Ruto said, looking ahead.  
As the others looked on as well, they could see they were standing on top of large, solid, stone pillars that stood apparently VERY high, as they saw yellow lava flowing several tens to a hundred meters below their position. Undeterred, Link made his way over the platforms while watching his step, entering a tunnel on the far side of the room. Once there, he again waited for the others, something which the Sages did appreciate. After the group was back together, they went down into a tunnel, only for Link to step on a slope, causing him to slip and, although he rapidly regained his balance, he now began to slide on the path he was on, down towards a curve to the left. The Sages followed him one after the other, intent on following him to see where he would end up as well as following his movements.

Link managed to jump over a flame that another fire-breathing statue was spewing over the path, before he shifted his weight to the right to prevent him from going off the path and falling into the lava, which was now a boiling red/orange. He wanted to scream as he headed right for a pool of that red/orange lava, until he also spotted a swinging vine moving to and fro over it slowly. Timing his jump well, he then leapt right off the edge of the path, grabbing the vine and using its momentum to swing safely to the other side, before he let go of the rope and landed on a last bit of the slope, before he jumped down a large hole, ending up in the room with the statue of the Ancient Sage, but now on a higher floor of the room.  
"Wow, one of these days I'm going to be a professional adventurer to the next level…" He said to himself, just as a female yelp came closer.  
Looking up, he spread his arms forward and promptly caught Saria in his arms.  
"Gotcha." He said, causing Saria to blush, before Link set her down, in time for him to catch Zelda in the same fashion, making Zelda blush in turn, after which Link repeated this gesture with Ruto, just as Navi, Tatl and Tael approached.  
Being the more swift and agile ones, Nabooru and Impa landed gracefully on their feet once they arrived in the area, with Rauru and Darunia being the last to arrive.  
"Okay, so we're back in the Statue Room… and I have located the Silver Sphere." Impa said, pointing to the other side.  
"There's Hookshot targets around as well, so we can come back to the higher floor." Link said, while Impa went to 'collect' the Silver Sphere to toss it to the lower level, where Nabooru went to put it on its pedestal.

Once the Silver Sphere was in place as well, the statue began to move, stepping straight into the lava ditch, but unbothered by the lava itself! Eventually it stood still between the platforms, waiting.  
"Huh? It stopped…" Zelda said.  
"Is it waiting for something?" Ruto asked  
"Maybe we have to get on top of it?" Saria asked.  
"It's worth a try." Link said, spotting a Hookshot target on the back of the statue and used his Hookshot to pull himself to it, standing on top of the statue shortly, where he waited for the others.  
He didn't have to wait long though as the others soon used either their own Hookshots or jumped on top of the statue's head to join him on top of it. Once everyone stood on top of the statue, it began to stir and move again, walking steadily through the red/orange lava without melting itself, taking the group to a staircase at the far side of the lava ditch. Once it had arrived there, the group hopped off the statue, standing in front of the staircase, before turning around to face the Statue.  
"Thank you, sir." Link said out of politeness.  
"It is an honor to serve heroes such as yourself, even when one of them happens to be my successor." It replied.  
"So you have been a Sage at one point after all?" Darunia asked.  
"Yes. In fact, I was the Sage of Fire before you were born, Darunia. Back then, I was charged to safeguard the Fire Temple itself, but when the time of finding a successor came near, I retired of my duties and chose to settle here in what used to be a mining facility for the Gorons in Snowhead, until the area itself became nigh-impassable when evil forces manifested themselves in here." It said.  
"I understand. Can you help us to get out of here?" Ruto asked.  
"The exit can be found right on top of the staircase behind you. It hides a portal that will take you back to the stone circle in the area from where this sanctuary can be accessed. But before you leave, I must warn you of something. While your exploration in here proved successful in wiping out the forces occupying this place, the evil beings known as Ganondorf and Majora have successfully staged an attack from the Great Bay area and conquered most of Termina. The only 'safe' areas that remain there are Romani Ranch, Zora Hall, the Deku Palace and Goron Village. The rest was taken over swiftly." It said.  
"WHAT?!" Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Impa, Darunia and Rauru exclaimed in unison.  
"Your travel here was a diversion created by those two in order to conquer the land known as Termina. Their forces are largely concentrated in the Ikana Region, in particular the Stone Tower Temple. The only way to deal significant damage to them there is when you have, among other weapons, arrowheads that burn, freeze and/or carry the sacred golden light. I have deciphered the auras of the beings, hence I was made aware of them and your presence." The Ancient Fire Sage said.  
"We've been played for fools… we'll get them for this!" Darunia said.  
"Your quest will be getting harder as you go, but do not fear. I will be giving you something that will come of good use to you all. Receive it now." The Ancient Fire Sage said, before a set of eight red/orange spheres were generated by him, each of them vanishing in one of the group members respectively.  
"Huh?! What did we get?" Saria asked.  
"From now, once you're in a stable position to attack the enemy, you can hold back on your strikes to increase the damage done. Remember, while you will be able to inflict more damage, the charging position leaves you vulnerable, but regardless of this, this kind of 'burst' works with most of your weapons, not just your blades, but also with certain ranged weapons, like arrows." He said.  
"So now we can inflict more damage with arrows too? That's cool!" Link said with a smile.  
"Now go and save Hyrule and Termina… and the world." The Ancient Fire Sage said.  
"Don't worry, we will." Link said, before the group left to ascend the staircase.  
"Take care, young ones." The Ancient Fire Sage said, before the group was gone.

Ascending up the staircase, the group came across a pillar on top of a pedestal. The room itself had lava flowing around the path that was leading only to the staircase above. Once the group stood in front of the pillar however, the pillar began to tremble, before it magically dragged itself backwards, as if a mechanism underneath it had been triggered. Upon locking itself at the far side of the platform, the part where the pillar first stood on then began to emanate a glowing blue circle on the ground.  
"Reminds me of the temples and dungeons I explored before, they got me outside like this too." Link said as he stepped inside the blue circle, with Saria and Zelda following him right away, Ruto being next.  
Nabooru, Impa, Darunia and Rauru joined in as well, after which the light from the circle seemed to move upward to the ceiling, taking the whole group along in the air, teleporting them to just beside the Stone Circle they had seen from where they had located the old man's house. Looking around, they could already see dark clouds bellowing over Ikana Canyon, the clouds being the darkest and more menacing around and above the Stone Tower Temple. The only places with clear sky were indeed visible over the ranch, the swamp, the Goron Village and around Zora Cape, but for the rest it was cloudy to dark, as if the evil that has infested it affected the climate once more. Link grew visibly frustrated, which Zelda noticed by the way Link had formed his hands into fists, the knuckles turning slowly turning white. If he would have nails, he could have easily penetrated through the skin of the palm, drawing blood. She tried to put him at ease by laying a hand on his shoulder, causing Link to turn to her.  
"I know how you must be feeling right now, Link…" She said, to which Link nodded.  
"The worst thing about it is that they are obviously laughing their heads off about this, as if they are having little to no trouble in doing things their way at their own leisure, while we have to work so hard to get everything back the way it was." He said.  
Zelda nodded in understanding, sighing herself. Impa looked at the two, being concerned for them. It was then that she noticed something odd; upon the two holding hands, both of their respective Triforce Pieces, being the ones of Wisdom and Courage, were glowing briefly on the backs of their hands in pure harmony. This caused Impa to look around, but she didn't sense Ganondorf's presence around the area overall. But why were their pieces glowing like that? Was it some kind of connection between them? Or was there something else going on altogether? This confusion with her only grew when she felt her own Medallion, the Shadow Medallion, glowing in a similar fashion. She wondered if this had something to do with the current state of affairs, or that something else had been the cause of this, like awakening powers or perhaps another untold legend? It brought confusion to the Sheikah woman in a way where she decided against revealing it to the others until she had sufficient answers to find out which of her questions were feasibly plausible in any form or fashion or otherwise had done some research of her own on this.  
"We should head back to Termina and see what we possibly can save on this instant… if the enemy has concentrated their forces around Ikana, we should figure out a way to cleanse the least occupied parts first to secure the area as a whole…" Rauru said.  
"I see you have returned from the sanctuary safely…" The old man then said, approaching the group.  
"Yes. We cleansed it of the evil monsters…" Darunia said.  
"… but we learned before we got back here that we were lured into a trap; by having us distracted with cleansing the sanctuary, Ganondorf and Majora attacked and conquered most of Termina." Rauru said.  
"Yes, this is most inconvenient. However, all is not lost, as you have most of the tools to combat the evil forces within Termina itself. I also got word from a messenger of the Zora Tribe whom managed to find his way up to here during the attack. He told me that the Zora Tribe in Termina has pulled back into Zora Cape as they have gathered several items for you to use in this. The quickest way to get there is to go down the well and find a path that goes around and over the forest area to reach the Zora cape from there. Also, the main source of the evil in Termina has been concentrated around the Stone Tower Temple, so be very cautious. I have been watching the dark clouds gathering over the Stone Tower area and I could feel a dark presence emanating from it." The Old Man said.  
"Thank you. We will proceed to the Zora Cape as soon as possible." Rauru said, nodding, before the group departed.  
"Take care, young ones. May the Goddesses give you the power, wisdom and courage you need to undertake this quest." The Old Man said, waving them off.

The group once more traveled towards the well, using its elevator to move back into the cavern, this time moving down towards a beach area of a different part of Termina altogether. To their surprise, a Goron was waiting for them. They moved to him to see why he was here.  
"Well, this is a surprise." The Goron said as they approached him.  
"What is a Goron like you doing out here for?" Ruto asked, blinking.  
"I'm more of a wanderer, I like to travel around places. But with the current state of affairs, I've been taking up some more risky tasks, like helping fellow travelers and warriors alike." The Goron said.  
"I see." Ruto said.  
"Anyway, I met the old man shortly before you exited the sanctuary and asked me to help you get to Zora Cape without taking the proverbial long detour. I'll show you a path will lead you to the cave quickly, but watch out; I've heard that the forces of evil are preparing an attack." He said, before balling up and rolling forward, straight through a wooden barrier as he moved on over the stone path there to a large cavern-like area, squashing an unsuspecting Lizalfos along the way…


	35. Chapter 35: Wisdom & Courage vs Insanity

_Chapter 35: Wisdom and Courage against Insanity_

As the group followed the traveling Goron, they entered a large, wide area within the stone cavern. The Goron itself dashed onward, squashing a few more Lizalfos while causing the others to flee. But just as the Goron had made it to the other side and passed through the building, the door closed, while a barrier locked itself behind Link and the Sages, trapping them inside the large room!  
"What the-?!" Rauru and Darunia exclaimed as this happened.  
The group itself looked around as the area itself darkened a little, wondering what was going on, right before a spotlight was shining on the group from above.  
"So, you managed to survive the lava outpost," a dark, chilling voice said, addressing the group, "too bad you couldn't prevent our conquest of Termina…"  
As the group looked forward, they could see something floating ahead in front of them. It had the appearance of a mask, but it was heart-shaped with spikes on top and the sides, while at the front were two, soul-piercing eyes! It was Majora, or better yet, the MASK of Majora!  
"You!" Link growled.  
"Surprised to see me again? I am also surprised to see you back in the flesh as well…" Majora's Mask said.  
Link's hands twitched, out of instinct moving to grab his sword and shield, but before he could even do so, a set of tendrils lashed out to the group, keeping them suspended for the time being as they struggled to get free.  
"You eight have been quite a thorn in the sides of both Ganondorf and myself, hence I decided to take matters in my own hands. It's high time you'll come to understand that you are powerless to stop us, no matter how much you love to try to prove otherwise." Majora said.  
"Oh yeah? You'll be eating those words once we're through with you!" Link snapped.  
"Really now? I wouldn't be so sure of that. Let's see how you can do anything when you can't even MOVE!" Majora said, right before it began to shake all around, a malevolent aura emanating from the mask, striking the captured hero and promptly turned him into a stone statue, petrifying him!  
"LINK!" Zelda exclaimed, right before she too was turned into stone, much to Impa's horror.  
"What have you done?!" Saria asked.  
"Those two simply wouldn't shut up. Might as well let you join them." Majora said, cackling as he also turned Saria into stone.  
"CURSE YOU!" Nabooru snapped.  
"Curse me? Funny you should say that, since _I_ am the one who is capable of cursing people!" Majora laughed, before promptly turning Nabooru into stone, quickly followed by Ruto, Darunia and Rauru, leaving only Impa.  
"What the-?! This is intolerable!" Impa said.  
"Maybe so. Too bad you can't do anything against it." Majora said, before turning Impa to stone as well.  
Once he was done with petrifying the entire group, Majora retracted the tendrils it used to hold the now-petrified group on.  
"Heh, heh… this reminds me of the time I turned that young Deku boy into a tree and used its soul to curse that forest boy with… hopefully this will put an end to your pointless battle against Ganondorf and me…" Majora said, laughing… before he stopped as a glow appeared on the back of Link's right hand.  
"What the-?!" Majora asked, just as the glow intensified… before a magic sphere appeared from it, beginning to engulf the petrified group until the bright light hid them from sight.  
Creaking sounds followed, right before a dull explosion was heard, sending stone fragments all over the area. As the light shrunk after about a minute or two, the Six Sages were standing there, back to normal as if nothing happened, but the glowing sphere remained…

"Huh?! What's going on?!" Saria asked, looking herself over to see that she was perfectly fine, as were the other five Sages.  
"That's what I want to know, too!" Nabooru said.  
"Wait, where's Link and Zelda?!" Impa asked.  
Before any of the others could answer, the entire group then heard the unmistakable sounds of bones snapping and/or twisting around, before a humanoid shape appeared from the sphere, moving in a standing position. As the light eventually faded, the group could see that there was one person standing there… whom had the distinct appearance of Fierce Deity Link and looked like him in every way, complete with Link's eyes, the prominent facial markings on his forehead and around his eyes, the lunar crest and triangle on the breast plate of his armor and the crest of the Hyrulean Royal Family underneath it, coupled with… wait what?!  
"Wait, where is Zelda?!" Nabooru asked, just as Rauru spotted something glowing on the back of the Fierce Deity Link's hand… it were not one, but TWO pieces of the Triforce… the ones of Wisdom and Courage!

Before Rauru could even comment, he could see that Majora's Mask was trembling.  
"No, no, no, no, NO! THIS CAN'T BE!" It howled in fear, making Fierce Deity Link growl, before dashing forward and struck the Mask with his Double-Helix Sword, severing the tendrils at its back in the process which promptly disintegrated into nothingness.  
Majora's Mask was sent wobbling downward to the back, obviously heavily damaged, before it emitted a shriek that opened the door on the far side of the area, before an armada of Dinolfos and Stalfos entered the area, ready to attack, while Majora's Mask went in retreat. Fierce Deity Link narrowed his eyes, his sword beginning to emit the glow that meant that a Sword Beam was ready to be fired on the target.  
"I'll try to explain things later, but now is not the time!" He said to the Sages, who then got ready to attack as well, although blinking at the fact that, while Fierce Deity Link retained his voice, it almost appeared as if there was a different pitch to it.  
As the Dinolfos and Stalfos attacked, Fierce Deity Link and the Sages retaliated with great vigor, plowing through the enemy forces with ease. Their new powers did help in this as the Dinolfos were taken out with one hit (although their powered Swords and the use of their skills like the Ending Blow, Mortal Blow, Jump Strike and Great Spin contributed a lot to this) and they also had lesser trouble in dealing with the Stalfos, as they went down in about two to three strikes altogether. Several of the more unlucky Dinolfos were literally cut in two, either horizontally or vertically, just as more of them came in, this time accompanied by two Eyegores, four spear-wielding Moblins, five Ball and Chain Troopers and two trident-wielding Taros.  
"Everybody, hang on!" Darunia said as he balled up, rolling a bit forward as he apparently charged at the incoming enemies, right before jumping up and smashing onto the ground with an enormous Goron Pound, crushing several Stalfos and Dinolfos in its wake and sending two of the Moblins down, right before Fierce Deity Link used his Sword Beams to down the two other, charging Moblins, in effect protecting Saria and Ruto as they tackled the Eyegores. Impa clashed her daggers with the tridents of the Taros that attacked her, turning and twisting around with great flexibility and agility to keep the two occupied, before stabbing one of them in the neck, cutting its jugular vein which killed the Taros instantly, after which Impa slashed the trident of the other in two, using the momentum to catch the creature's neck between her legs in a scissor-like motion, twisting her legs to snap the neck in question, ceasing the struggles of the other Taros as well. Rauru used his Light-based magic to disintegrate a decent portion of the Stalfos and Dinolfos to give the others some reprieve and the chance to properly recover and focus on the remaining attackers. Saria managed to trap several enemies among her vines, after which she and Ruto worked together to create a waterspout that sent them flying and crashing around the area, to the point of even crashing against other enemies. Just then, Nabooru clocked several Iron Knuckles entering the room, making her nervous, but retained her determined composure.  
"We have Iron Knuckles up ahead!" She shouted.  
"Got them!" Fierce Deity Link said, beginning to blast them with his Sword Beams, magically burning them to get rid of the outer armor.  
Impa did her best to beat as many enemies as she could, but at times when she had some reprieve, she couldn't help to wonder what has happened to Zelda as she was absent from the battle.  
"You worry about Zelda?" Rauru then asked after nailing a Dinolfos trying to pull off a sneak attack on her.  
"Yeah…" Impa said.  
"She's still with us, but it appears that Link somehow has gained her Triforce Piece for the time being…"  
"What? Link has her Triforce of Wisdom?! But how?!"  
"That is something that only Link can answer. I do not exactly know how, but I believe that this is definitely Zelda's doing…" Rauru said, just as Majora's Mask re-entered the field after Fierce Deity Link decimated the Iron Knuckles and Saria and Ruto finished off the Eyegores, while the remainder of the Stalfos and Dinolfos were finished off by the remaining Sages.  
"So… you are more persistent than I thought…" Majora said, getting angry as he observed the group.  
"So are you for being an obnoxious prick that takes pleasure in making other people's lives a living hell!" Fierce Deity Link retorted.  
"Hmph, whatever. If you think you can take us on still…" The mask then said, before emanating a glow of its own as it apparently began to transform.  
Fierce Deity Link and the Sages had to shield their eyes for a moment until the glow diminished, but where Fierce Deity Link remained serious, the Sages were either in shock or scared, as Majora's Mask became Majora's Wrath, a grotesque humanoid form with many colors littered across its body, with a face that had a third eye on the forehead and long tentacles on its hands. While the Sages were horrified at this tall, grotesque form of Majora, Fierce Deity Link was more than ready to attack.  
"Now, I will make sure you will STAY dead!" Majora roared.  
"Fat chance, freak, have some of this!" Fierce Deity Link snapped as he unleashed a Sword Beam to magically burn Majora, before dashing at him and used a jump attack to strike at him, slashing his leg.  
Majora howled in pain as Fierce Deity Link kept slashing away at him before he recovered, ready to strike Fierce Deity Link with his long tentacles, only to be intercepted by an arrow courtesy of Saria, giving the others the opportunity to get some blows in themselves. Darunia charged up ahead with a spiked Goron Roll, dashing into Majora and slamming him against the wall, striking him a few times so that the others could come closer and deal some damage in themselves. Saria just smacked him with her sword several times, Ruto preferred the use of her Boomerang to stun him. Rauru used his Light-based magic attacks to burn him with the power of Light, where as Nabooru and Impa both used their blades as well, in effect making Majora suffer quite a beating before Majora threw the group off, growling.

Majora was heavily injured, some of its tendrils had been severed, but he was still alive!  
"Don't think that this is over yet, you fools," He snarled, getting up, "you may have won this battle, but this is only a minor setback compared to what we have achieved!"  
"Save your breath, maniac! You will get your dues and Ganondorf will also pay for what he has done to this land AND to us!" Fierce Deity Link said.  
"Oh yeah? Then how about you come to our new castle to find out if you can do just that?" Majora then taunted.  
"Oh, trust us, we will." Darunia said, slamming his fists together as he was eager to deal some pain.  
"I'd love to see you try… if you even can GET there, that is…"  
"We will see, you filthy animal, but whatever happens once we do, YOU will not live long enough to see us beating Ganondorf once and for all!" Fierce Deity Link said.  
"Impudent fools… you haven't seen the last of me!" Majora then snapped, before vanishing altogether, leaving the group alone in stunned silence.  
"Did he just… flee like a coward?!" Ruto asked.  
"Maybe, or it is simply a tactic of his, as if he wanted to see what we've been capable of so far…" Fierce Deity Link said.  
Saria, Nabooru and Darunia nodded at this.  
"Link, what happened to Zelda?" Impa then asked.  
"Hm? Oh, I'm sorry…" He said, before taking the Fierce Deity Mask off, reverting Link back to his normal state… while at the same time a glow appeared right next to Link… which then turned into the aforementioned Hyrulean princess herself, making the remaining Sages blink.  
"What happened to you, Zelda?" Impa asked.  
Zelda however smiled.  
"Well, what technically happened is that, for a brief moment, I lent my powers to Link." She said.  
"What?! But how?!" Rauru asked.  
"I think these might explain it…" Link said as he and Zelda both showed their still-glowing Triforce pieces on their hands.  
"I… see…" Impa said, still confused.  
"What basically happened is that, while we all were turned into stone by Majora, my Triforce piece activated itself and began to envelop me in a glow, as if restoring me back to normal. This in turn engulfed Zelda as well, triggering her Triforce piece in kind." Link began.  
"While Link put on his Fierce Deity's Mask as he wanted to deal pain to Majora for what he did to us, I felt that he could use some extra help with this, so I decided, much to Link's own surprise, to lend my powers to him which in turn turned you lot back to normal." Zelda said.  
"How is that even possible?" Nabooru asked.  
"Well, according to the legend of the Triforce, those who bear part of it have benefits of its power; it could protect them from specific curses or areas, have the curse affect them temporarily or it affects them in a different fashion. Either way, while either piece gives the wielder their own set of mystical abilities and powers, it appears that Wisdom and Courage hold an equal share of power within them; whereas Link's determination to save us and the lands around us while defeating the enemy gives him the courage to do whatever it takes to achieve those goals, Zelda's wisdom allowed her to make the right decisions to do what she feels necessary to aid others in any field, including battle and recovery. On top of that, The Triforce of Courage has proven to protect Link from evil magic to some extent." Rauru said.  
The Sages could see the logic in that; it explained why Link was able to return back to normal on his own accord and, with Zelda's added power and wisdom, the Triforce of Courage could expand its own influence over to the Sages in turn.  
"But how come you weren't here with us physically? We saw Fierce Deity Link with us, but not you…" Saria said to Zelda.  
"Well, I have to tell you that I did notice Fierce Deity Link having Zelda's Triforce piece as well as the crest of the Hyrule Royal Family on his armor…" Rauru said.  
"That was actually a bit of a mutual agreement between us, as an adaptation to my initial plan…" Zelda said.  
"You see, when I wanted to transform into the Fierce Deity using the purified mask after I turned back to normal, Zelda stopped me for a brief moment, telling me that she wanted to give me her powers in order to save you and beat the living daylights out of Majora. I initially was against the idea as it would leave her vulnerable or even worse than that, something that Zelda herself was aware of." Link said.  
"Which is why I decided to pull off a tricky and risky maneuver. Once I told him about this plan and that it would be certain it would help in our goals of saving you, beating Majora and keeping me safe, Link conceded and allowed me to do what was necessary to pull it off. When Link put the Fierce Deity Mask and was about to transform, I transferred my powers as well as my soul into him, which in turn caused my body to initially vanish." Zelda replied.  
"So, technically speaking, you used your powers to fuse yourself with Link to give him the power needed to revive us and beat Majora?" Impa asked.  
"Yes," Zelda said, "once Majora would be beaten, we would reverse this process so it would bring us back to normal, as you can see here."  
Impa sighed of relief.  
"I didn't know you could actually do something like that." Rauru said.  
"To be honest, I was initially having some second thoughts about it myself, but it appears my own status as well as the determination of Link convinced me to go through with it." Zelda said, to which Link sheepishly grinned.  
The Sages all smiled.  
"At least we're fine for now…" Saria said.  
"Wait, what about that Goron who wanted to guide us?!" Ruto then said.  
"Oh no! Let's find him!" Link said as he moved off with the Sages in tow to the opened door, moving to the right to look for the Goron.

Moving through the stone cavern in their rush to find the Goron guide, the group eventually arrived in a different landscape, as if they had taken a detour and ended up at the coast.  
"Where is he?" Zelda asked.  
"Beats me; he could have rolled onward while we were busy dealing with Majora." Impa said.  
"Look, I can see Zora Cape up ahead! We must have reached a different side of the Great Bay Coast altogether!" Ruto said.  
"There's a path leading downward towards a small dock. Let's go, perhaps the Goron must have gone that way." Link said, hopping down to the path and ran downward.  
The Sages followed Link as he moved towards the dock, with Link noticing a few boats out once they were closer to it. The area appeared to be secluded, ideal for a hermit or someone like that. Once they arrived at the house, the Goron was waiting for them.  
"What happened?" The Goron asked.  
"We got ambushed by Majora once you had a lead on us. We managed to defeat him this time, but he fled before we could deliver the killing strike." Link said, feeling that would be enough information.  
The Goron nodded.  
"You can use these boats to reach Zora Cape. Just be careful not to be spotted by enemy soldiers on the coast." He said.  
"Thanks for the heads up."  
"Don't mention it."  
With that, the group got on one of the boats and, once it started, Darunia steered it towards Zora Cape.

Already the group could feel the effects of the cursed environment as the air seemed a bit more dense than usual and the water had regained its murky appearance. Link sighed in sadness, knowing that his efforts to cleanse this land had apparently become undone. Saria and Zelda both put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, to which he smiled, acknowledging it with a nod of gratitude. Watching this, Impa realized that the children of the group were a lot more mature than they apparently seemed in appearance. Then again, the recent events aren't something one could take for granted. Thankfully, the trip towards Zora Cape was uneventful as Link chose to go around the back, where he had to play the New Wave Bossa Nova in order to gain access to the Great Bay Temple in the far distance. Upon arriving on the back entrance, the group went off the boat and entered the Zora Hall, where the Zora people, including the Indigo-go's, the most famous band in Termina, had gathered. The Zoras saw them and, recognizing them, were elated to see friendly people around. Upon being asked why the Zoras had pulled back inside the hall, the explanation was simple; the corruption of the area as well as the conquest done by Ganondorf and Majora led them to pull back into their safe haven, but this did leave Lulu unable to go out to the Marine Research Laboratory at the Coast in order to check on her children. On top of that, the rivers now saw an expansion of their more hostile counterparts, the River Zoras, whom have attacked several of the Sea Zoras, of which Ruto was its princess, as well as other denizens, mostly for being just too close to their territory and also because Sea Zoras and River Zoras don't get along with each other as well…

"… and now you plan to put an end to the threat that Ganondorf and Majora pose?" Lulu, the singer of the Indigo-go's asked.  
"Yes. We wish to bring Hyrule and Termina back into an era of peace and prosperity, the way it should have been." Princess Ruto said.  
Lulu nodded at this, understanding what Ruto was getting at.  
"However, equipped as you are, you may not be able to do much as it is; security has been ramped up a lot ever since word got out of you having raided some of their outposts. Fortunately, we managed to raid several items from those areas as spoils of treasure when we pulled our comrades back. I believe they will be of great use to you." She said, just as a few Zoras came, carrying a chest to the group. Opening the chest, the group blinked at what they saw.  
"We've been working to prepare these items properly for you. One of which being arrows that can be combined with Bombs, creating Bomb Arrows, which can be used to detonate targets at great distances which can't be reached by either Bombs or Bombchus." Lulu said.  
"That's cool!" Link said, taking the arrows as he felt that they could use them well.  
"We also have Ice Arrows for you, to freeze enemies and create ice platforms on water-based surfaces."  
"Sweet!" Zelda said, as she and Link took the Ice Arrows as well.  
"For our Princess, we give this Medallion." Lulu then said, giving Ruto a medallion that had a lightning-bolt like image on it.  
"What is this?" Princess Ruto asked.  
"This is known as the 'Ether Medallion'. It can be used to strike at airborne targets due to it launching an attack in the atmosphere. Ground-based enemies or enemies that aren't directly killed will end up frozen, as if they're frozen with Ice Arrows or an Ice Rod, which is something we have here." Lulu said, taking the Ice Rod out, while Ruto accepted the Ether Medallion.  
"Oh? Another Powder Keg for me?" Darunia asked, taking one.  
"Not just this one; we've learned that these things have been scattered throughout Hyrule and Termina within Treasure Chests and through Goron Merchants whom have hidden themselves well. Find them to restock if you so desire." Lulu said.  
"That's great to hear." Darunia said, smiling.  
"Wait, is this the book of Mudora?" Rauru asked as he picked up a green book.  
"I think so, it has some ancient text and translations inside…" Lulu, showing confusion.  
"It is. This book is filled with Hylian lore and stories and also offers translations to text that are written in the Ancient Hylian Language… this could come in handy indeed. Where did you find this?!" Rauru asked.  
"One of the villagers took this book with him as something he felt salvageable when he had to evacuate Kakariko Village. He took it with him to the Village of Refugees and hid it before he was ultimately captured by Ganondorf and Majora's Troops during the attack from the Forest outpost. Oh, before I forget, there's a smith around here that can upgrade your gloves and/or bracelets so you can push and pull heavier stuff along the way. Some obstacles may require a combined effort to move however." Lulu said.  
"So that will be like everyone having a variation of the Silver Gauntlets then? Those gloves were also useful in lifting heavy objects and all…" Nabooru asked.  
"In a way, yes." Lulu said, smiling.  
"And what about these capes?" Impa asked, picking up a set of capes.  
"These are a special kind of Magic Capes that will, when its magic is activated, will render the wearer invisible to the naked eye, allowing them to bypass certain enemies, barriers and hazards at will. However, it won't work against tougher or more intelligent enemies, against people whom have eyes that can see the truth and it drains the wearer's magic power greatly upon prolonged use; once their magic power runs out, it'll be like they're wearing a normal, old-fashioned cape and makes them visible to everyone and everything once more." Lulu said.  
"Hmmm, we'll take them anyway; they could be useful to us some time…" Impa said.  
"Alright." Lulu said as the items were taken by the group.  
"These Bomb Arrows look really cool! We could wreck some distant havoc on enemies." Zelda said, smiling.  
"Use them wisely though; despite your plans, keep in mind that Bomb arrows will combine and through that CONSUME an arrow AND a bomb together. So be on the lookout for things that can help in increasing your ammo capacity before you run out of either bombs, arrows or both." Lulu said.  
"Alright, we'll keep that in mind." Link said with a smile.  
Lulu nodded with a smile, before giggling as she saw Ruto spending some time with the other band members Evan, Japas and Tijo.  
"So, how have things been around here?" Link then asked.  
Lulu turned to Link.  
"We've been holding out as best as we can. We've been working on a song whom we have decided to dedicate to Mikau, our former guitarist whom had regrettably passed away after being gravely injured by Gerudo Pirates while he tried to get the eggs they stole from me back. Although I didn't realize it at first, it was thanks to you and his spirit that the eggs, as well as my voice, have returned." Lulu said.  
Link nodded, as the group decided to relax for a bit inside Zora Hall, which in turn gave them room to change back in their normal outfits, seeing as they had still been wearing the Goron Tunics during their trip through the sanctuary…


	36. Chapter 36: Back to the land of the dead

_Chapter 36: Back to the land of the dead_

In Zora Cape, Link and the Sages decided to split up for a moment so they could rest and hopefully cool down from their adventure in the lava-filled land and the short encounter against Majora. Link, Saria and Zelda sat together alone on a higher floor, with Impa watching over them from a distance. She could tell that the girls were worried, while Link himself looked as if he was preparing to face death itself once more.  
"So, we have to go back to the Stone Tower, where our long trip began in the first place…" Link said.  
"Indeed…" Zelda said, remembering the words of the old man well.  
"But we can't scale the Stone Tower itself right away; the puzzles there are very complicated, some of which require the use of the 'Elegy of Emptiness' song. I have mentioned this to you back when we were in Clock Town with Ruto and Nabooru…" Link said.  
"Yes, I remember you talking about the song, but I've never actually heard of it." Saria said.  
"Then I think the time has come that I teach this song to you, since I believe we will need it in the Tower itself." Link said, getting up.  
Impa moved closer, deciding to listen in so she could memorize the song herself in case her assistance is needed.  
"It's kinda ironic now…" Zelda said, giggling.  
"What is?" Link asked.  
"Saria and I have been teaching you songs, and now you're teaching us one in turn."  
Link chuckled at this, before grabbing his Ocarina, the one that Saria gave him. Saria grabbed her own Fairy Ocarina, while Zelda brandished the Ocarina of Time.  
"Alright, listen closely. The Stone Tower Temple is almost like an impenetrable stronghold; hundreds of soldiers of Igos du Ikana himself could not scale it. This is why he gave me, in his words, 'a soldier who has no heart, one who will NOT falter into darkness'. This is the Elegy of Emptiness." Link said, as he then began to play the seven-note intro of the Elegy of Emptiness.  
The instant after Link played the song, a glow appeared around him, which became a green-colored pillar that grew smaller and vanished as quick as it came in the span of a few seconds, but once Link moved away, a statue that looked like Link appeared on the place where he once stood. This time, the statue of Link looked a bit different from the one that he had used when scaling the Stone Tower during his first adventure in Termina. Visible on the arms and legs were small lines that represented scars from previous battles, while the grin that first had on the face had turned into a mere smile, one that seemed either more melancholic in nature or had the appearance that, no matter what happened, it tried to look at the bright side of things, as if hoping that the sacrifices he made wouldn't be in vain. Although blinking at this at first, both Saria and Zelda regained their composure and played the Elegy of Emptiness themselves, both of them feeling the same glow around them that Link had experienced before. Upon stepping away, statues of Saria and Zelda respectively appeared on the places where the two once stood. Like the one of Link, the Saria and Zelda statues had a smile on the face, although Zelda's appeared much more melancholic in nature, and here and there on the statues were the same lines that represented scars on the bodies, in particular on the hands, arms and legs. Impa herself blinked at this, wondering how her statue would look like if she played the song herself.  
"The only thing that baffles me is that the statues could appear here too; normally we would have to be inside Ikana Canyon for that to happen…" Link said.  
"I think the cause is simple…" Impa said, approaching the group.  
"And that is?" Zelda asked.  
"The three of you actually have been dead not too long ago. While you were resurrected and everything is now apparently fine, I believe these statues represent the state of your former self, perhaps from before your death…" Impa said.  
"I see what you mean; the statues that I could form in my Deku, Goron and Zora forms respectively looked more like the bodies of those whose souls I had healed and of which I used their corresponding masks to inhabit their bodies rather than looking like an exact image of yours truly in those forms." Link said, nodding.  
"How many of these can actually be made?" Zelda then asked.  
"Only one statue of each form of one who plays the song can exist at a time. So while multiple statues can be made, it's limited to one statue per form." Link replied.  
"So I can't make two statues of myself in that form?" Zelda asked, pointing to her statue.  
"Nope, just one. You can summon a statue at any time you like, but it will always appear on the spot you're standing on while playing the Elegy of Emptiness; any statue you have made previously in that form will automatically be dispelled." Link said.  
Zelda, Saria and Impa nodded at this.

Rauru in the meantime was talking with Darunia, while Nabooru was watching Princess Ruto.  
"The situation has become more complicated than I anticipated; Ganondorf and Majora are more dangerous than I thought…" Rauru said.  
"Indeed; Ganondorf has immense power, while Majora is outright insane and yet also quite strong in his own right." Darunia said, nodding.  
"The next few days will without a doubt be the hardest, as we can't afford any failures now…"  
"That is true, especially in Ikana Canyon…"  
"We all need to remain strong once we traverse through that area; otherwise we'll be joining the lingering spirits to roam around, full of regrets…"  
"We'll make it, Rauru. As long as we have the others with us…" Darunia said.  
"I guess you're right. Link's courage will help us through…"  
"Exactly."  
Darunia and Rauru watched as Nabooru went in the water with Ruto, before they were joined by Link, Zelda, Saria and Impa.

After about 30 minutes, the group decided to make a go for it towards Ikana Canyon, so they said their good-byes to the Zora people inside Zora Hall, moving back into Zora Cape where their boat was. Once outside into Zora Cape, Princess Ruto then drew her blade, spinning it around before holding it in the air, invoking the power of the Ether Medallion she received. A bolt of lightning hit her sword as the medallion's power was activated, shooting the bolt back in the air and striking at the clouds surrounding the area. Immediately the darkened clouds began to split open and spread apart, revealing clear, blue sky with here and there a normal cloud around. It was as if the princess herself had cleared the damp atmosphere around the Zora Cape and let in fresh, cool air to restore the climate around the area itself. Link smiled at this, watching Ruto do her job in order to save her people in Termina at least, before joining the group once more as they entered the boat, with Rauru steering it towards the mainland.  
"We should call the horses once we get on land, that way we can save up on travel time by far." Link said.  
"Great idea, it'll save us energy too." Zelda said, nodding as the coast came in view.  
"Hopefully we can decimate some of the enemies underway…" Saria said.  
"That gives me an idea; if Darunia goes first with his Spiked Goron Roll, we should be able to follow as he can plow through enemy defenses with ease." Link said.  
"Now you're speaking my language. I'll gladly mow down those goons for you." Darunia said, patting Link on the back, making Link yelp a bit at the force of it.

Once the group arrived at the coast and left the boat, Link and Zelda used their Fire Arrows to take out two Like-Likes that could form a potential hinder to them, before Link went to play Epona's Song on his Ocarina. In less than a minute, Epona and the few horses accompanying her came galloping across the sandy coast, taking out a Leever and a Red Tektite along the way before slowing and coming to a halt in front of the group. Link smiled, patting and stroking Epona over her back and manes, making Epona neigh in satisfaction, before Link mounted the horse, with this time Zelda hopping on behind him. Saria took Zelda's spot on Impa's horse, while Darunia himself got ready to take off. While Nabooru had Ruto with her, Rauru sat alone on his own stallion. Once Darunia was given the signal, he charged up his Goron Roll and charged ahead, with Epona and the other horses following behind, taking the other Sages and Link with them. Zelda looked around while holding onto Link, just to be sure no one was trying anything funny. Thankfully, the only sounds that were heard were the sounds of Tektites and Leevers being defeated as the group ran over them without troubles. Zelda held Link from behind as they rode on, following Darunia, which made Link blush with a smile. Eventually the group went to the right past the Fisherman and the Oceanside Spider Houses, going up the sandy path towards Termina Field…

Once in Termina Field, the group simply moved onward, deciding to move straight to Ikana Canyon through the southern route, bypassing the Dodongos and Eenos on the northern part of the field itself, finding the ChuChus easier to deal with. On top of that, moving through the bushes allowed them to snatch some spoils they could find on ammunition for bombs and arrows along the way, obviously being left behind by slain enemies. Zelda looked in the direction of Clock Town, seeing that the town itself remained intact, although the town's walls showed signs of battle damage due to several holes and cracks being present along the wall, here and there were black patches that indicated there was a fire burning there, which had been extinguished. The atmosphere around took on a more darker tone as it began to rain as the group traveled onward, a distinct rumbling being heard in the air as if a storm was passing over. Zelda shivered, which in turn caused Link to shiver as well. Passing by the Astral Observatory, the group then turned to the right as the grass of the field was replaced by the sand/stone-like ground visible in Ikana, with the group entering Ikana Valley.

Upon arriving in Ikana Valley, Link noticed that, where once the fences stood to keep anyone on foot from entering the valley in the first place and thus had to use a horse to jump over them, were gone, being reduced to broken stone and broken and bent metal that stood outward, as if the invasion had come from Ikana itself. Stopping their horses close at the cliff they had to climb at, hiding them from sight, the group then dismounted the horses and proceeded to use their Hook- and Clawshots to climb their way to the higher area using the wooden tree that stood there, helping each other further up as they went. Passing by the boulders and rocks that remained on the path, the group could feel that the air was getting denser and also a bit darker, while at the same time, the stench of death began to creep around the area. It was then that several boulder-like creatures emerged from the ground.  
"What's this? They look a bit like Gorons…" Darunia said, noticing the rocky surface on their bodies.  
"And they smell like gunpowder…" Saria said.  
"WATCH IT! Those are Nejirons; they will explode if they touch you!" Link said, pulling Saria out of the way as one Nejiron rolled by, missing her.  
Zelda then shot the Nejiron with an arrow… making the Nejiron explode upon being hit with the arrow!  
"YIKES!" Ruto exclaimed, rolling out of the way of another Nejiron whom aimed at her.  
"We have to make a run for it, let's go!" Link said, grabbing Saria and Zelda by their hands, the three proceeding to run onward, not looking back as more Nejirons emerged from the ground. The others followed right away, doing their best to avoid the Nejirons as much as they could.

Eventually the group arrived at the bank of Ikana River, being the main part of Ikana Canyon itself. Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru were visibly unsettled, seeing as they have been here before, but moved on nonetheless. Freezing the resident Octoroks with Ice Arrows to encase them in blocks of ice, the group used these to cross Ikana River and, once more using their Hook- and Clawshots, made their way into Ikana Canyon itself, on the area with a now visibly damaged Music Box, the still deserted and ruined Ikana Castle and the monstrous Stone Tower not too far. There were now several Gibdos and ReDeads around in the canyon, accompanied by Blue Bubbles which were flying around.  
"Dang, things have definitely changed around here…" Link said.  
"Yeah, it's as if this place has gotten worse since the last time we were here…" Zelda said.  
"Once this is all over we'll need a vacation." Ruto said.  
"You got that right." Saria said.  
"Let's check that music house first, it may give us clues as to what has happened here…" Impa said.  
"Right, but watch yourself; we have ReDeads and Gibdos around, next to the Bubbles and the Guays…" Link said, intercepting a Guay whom was aiming for Ruto.  
The others nodded, before Link knocked on the door of the Music Box house… but no one answered the door.  
"Maybe nobody's at home?" Zelda asked, just as the door itself fell down on the ground… as if it had been torn off its hinges before and someone unceremoniously put it back in its place, startling the group.  
"Now THAT is what I call 'flattening the door'." Link said, blinking.  
"I'll say." Zelda said, blinking as well.

The group then cautiously went inside the house, looking around.  
"Anybody home?" Link called in the house, but received no reply.  
"Look at this; this place is a mess! Who lived in such a dump?!" Ruto asked, looking around.  
"This used to be the home of a man who was researching the supernatural and his daughter…" Link said, moving downstairs to where the research tools were.  
Saria and Zelda followed, wondering what could be in the basement. Upon arrival, they could see that the basement by itself was a mess; papers laid scattered across the floor, some of them crumpled, torn, folded or anything in between, as if someone must have had put up quite the resistance against the aggressor.  
"Geez, talk about a struggle having taken place here…" Saria said.  
"I'll say; it's likely they must have taken the researcher and his daughter captive… or even worse… but there is no blood around…" Link said.  
"Could they have been cursed too?" Zelda asked.  
"Possibly, which would suit the nature of this area well. Makes me wonder why they actually live here in the first place…" Link said.  
"Yeah, field studying here is quite risky…" Saria said.  
"Should we actually try to rest here for a moment so we are truly prepared to scale the Stone Tower?" Zelda asked.  
"It would be best; scaling the Stone Tower isn't easy at all and if this is the current source of evil in this area, we may need to be refreshed more than ever." Link said.  
"We can place a seal around the place that can prevent any malevolent force from coming in and take us by surprise…" Zelda said."  
"That's a wise idea. That way we can have some decent rest in too." Link said, as he and the others went back upstairs.

After talking about it with the others, the group agreed to use the house as a temporal shelter, since it apparently was unoccupied. Perhaps this could also give them precious time for a more thorough investigation, to find out what has happened to its regular occupants, where they have gone or been taken to and what relation it has with the goons that were currently occupying the Stone Tower and its Temple. After they placed the door back in its place and put the seal on it to prevent outsiders from coming in, the group prepared themselves to get some rest. Using what was available, they made makeshift beds for Rauru and Impa downstairs, since they opted to watch over the area regardless, while Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru went to occupy the beds of the researcher and his daughter, the latter of which was named Pamela as the group found out from some of the papers they investigated. They also noticed the papers of the father having done his research on the Gibdos and Garo and other supernatural phenomena in the area as those contained their pictures. Link remembered these as he had seen them before after using the Song of Healing to lift the curse on the man was he apparently was going to turn into a Gibdo.

Later on, the group was resting, making sure they would put the things they used back to where they found them so no one would see that they had even been in here. As they rested, Link, Saria and Zelda occupied Pamela's bed, while Nabooru and Ruto laid close by in the father's bed. However, the slumber of Link, Saria and Zelda wasn't easy, trying to find comfort in each other. Thankfully, Ruto and Nabooru were close by and assisted the troubled trio in chasing the nightmares away. Even though they were resting as well, Impa, Darunia and Rauru were being on guard, just to be sure nothing was trying anything funny. Throughout the night, the entire place remained quiet, as if giving the group some peace in turn, even though the overall atmosphere of Ikana didn't ease them overall…

The next morning however, the group woke up as the sun was rising, but its only noticed through the thick air becoming a lighter shade in color, with the Sun itself unable to penetrate through the clouds properly. After getting themselves tidy again, the group set to bring the house back to its state before they entered it to erase any traces of their presence. As they were done with the tidying, the group eventually began to hear a song resonating through the house, as if someone had turned on some kind of music box on.  
"Hm? Is someone playing music?" Zelda asked, looking around as if to see where it came from.  
"I think so… the tone seems familiar, but I can't exactly bring it back to mind…" Link said, scratching his head as it sounded nowhere near the 'Farewell to Gibdos' song that usually played in the house once it was turned on by the Ikana River…  
"It seems rather low in tone…" Saria said, looking around as well.  
"Those low piano chords are a bit unsettling to me…" Nabooru said.  
"And why do I feel as if something's being sapped from me… as well as from all of you too?" Impa asked.  
"Something being sapped?" Ruto asked.  
"As if someone is draining our powers?" Darunia asked.  
"Not just power… it feels as if it's draining our life force…" Impa said, feeling her legs wobbling, while Saria and Zelda collapsed on hands and knees, gasping for breath.  
Link felt his chest getting heavy, but managed to hear Impa's last line…  
"Draining our life force… this song… oh no!" Link then said, eyes widening in absolute horror.  
"What is it?!" Impa asked, feeling her own chest getting heavier as she was beginning to sweat.  
"We have to get out of here right now! This is the Melody of Darkness, a song that will mean our deaths if we keep listening to it!" Link exclaimed in near-panic.  
"But the… door still… has the seal!" Zelda said, trying to hold onto Link as her chest felt heavy.  
"We can dispel the seal, but with this rate, we won't be able to make it in time." Rauru said  
"Allow me!" Darunia said as he charged up a Goron Roll and smashed himself through the door to outside in Ikana River, breaking the seal in the process with his own magic as the door was reduced to splinters, allowing the group to escape the house while covering their ears as best as they could as the song apparently kept growing in volume.

Once they were out of the house, the music itself died down, much to the group's relief, but the effects remained, as if they narrowly prevented themselves from having a cardiac arrest, their chests and bodies feeling heavy, almost as if they had participated in a long distance run without resting once.  
"C… Curse you, Majora!" Link said between gasps, struggling to move towards the others, before he looked at an opening in a nearby stone wall, close to the side entrance to Ikana Castle.  
"W… where are you looking at?" Zelda asked, trying to get up, but feeling her arms and legs struggling to maintain strength.  
"T… there's a… Great… Fairy nearby…" Link said, doing his best to stay upright, helping Zelda and Saria up, while Nabooru helped Ruto up, moving towards Link, Saria and Zelda.  
With Link's guidance, the group entered the Great Fairy's Fountain, where the Great Fairy of Kindness helped in restoring the group's health with her magic, much to the group's relief.  
"What was that for a song that was draining our life force like that?" Impa then asked Link, being puzzled as to why a mere song could have such a devastating effect.  
"That was the Melody of Darkness. It was composed by the composer Sharp here in Termina, intended to let anyone who listens to it 'sleep gently and join the ranks of the dead' as he put it." Link said.  
"Wait, you mentioned something about him here…" Zelda said.  
"Yes. The reason I didn't recognize the song first hand is, although I did confront Sharp in the Spring Water Cave where he played that song too, I immediately tried to heal his soul with the Soul of Healing, but when that had no effect, I went to play the song that Sharp's brother Flat made me remember: The Song of Storms. It apparently has an increased magic power here as the Song of Storms can cleanse specific curses of its own, as it helped break the curse placed on Sharp and it can help us recover from being jinxed by a Blue Bubble quicker." Link said.  
"Jinxed?" Ruto parroted.  
"Yes. It's a type of curse that will render the affected victim unable to draw their main weapon, in our case our swords, for a certain amount of time. Only the Song of Storms can wash it away in an instant." Link replied.  
"But why did he compose that song?" Saria asked.  
"Sharp was on his turn cursed by Majora, having foolishly 'sold his soul to the devil' as Flat told me. Majora apparently has used the song in that house to kill us when we were awake… perhaps Ganondorf could have had a hand in it too." Link said, right before Zelda came up to him and hugged him.  
"Zelda?" Impa asked, while Link was also concerned.  
"Thank you again, Link. I think I lost count on this, but again you have managed to save our lives…" Zelda said.  
"Hey, it's no problem, Zel." Link said with a warm smile, right before Saria and Ruto hugged him as well, much to the amusement of the adults as they saw that Link was getting a bit nervous.  
"I almost wanted to ask if there's anything to repay you for it…" Zelda said.  
"No need for the payments and all, I just do what I believe is right." Link said, being modest.  
The Great Fairy smiled at this affection between the group as they remained in the Fountain for a while to recuperate properly from their near-death experience, before they finally went off to scale the Stone Tower.


	37. Chapter 37: A favor returned

_Chapter 37: A favor returned_

Link led the group towards the entrance to the Stone Tower area, having played the Sun's Song to freeze the resident ReDeads and Gibdos along the way, although the hero was shivering as he went up the path.  
"Bad memories, huh?" Zelda asked, seeing it.  
"Pretty much. When it combines with the feeling of feeling weird underneath your feet or just feeling lighter, you know you are in a high place." Link said.  
"True that."  
"Just a warning ahead, when we scale the tower, don't look down." He said, taking out a map of the Stone Tower he had conveniently taken with him.  
As the group entered the area, they could already see the massive height of the tower itself.  
"By the Goddesses, this tower is HUGE!" Saria said, blinking at the height of the tower  
"We never had a chance to get a good look at it before, even though we were close by when we landed inside that spider/Skulltula-infested cavern before, but I agree…" Nabooru said.  
"Just what on Hyrule did the people who made this tower plan to do?! Try to reach the heavens where the Goddesses reside?!" Zelda asked.  
"I actually haven't put much thought into that; I guess I was too occupied in saving Termina…" Link said, blinking.  
Rauru and Darunia already noticed boulders rolling around, as well as several Beamos around.  
"Wait, didn't Termina have any deities of their own?" Saria asked.  
"Those are the Four Giants, or at last I think that they must be for Termina, considering that they did help in stopping the moon from falling on Clock Town. I honestly haven't known much about Termina itself, other than that these Giants obviously have a level of importance to it." Link said.  
"This would make the situation rather complicated for us… if Ganondorf and Majora have occupied this place, then it could very well be their intention to insult the three Golden Goddesses themselves," Rauru said, putting two and two together, "coupled with the fact that Ganondorf actually has the Triforce of Power…"  
"So we are also dealing with a couple of blasphemers too, if those theories are true…" Link said, getting upset.  
"Indeed." Rauru said.  
"Well, we have no time to waste, we'll show them!" Zelda said, taking the initiative this time and hopping onto the floating platforms, with Link right next to her, reaching the other side safely with the others.  
"Alright, now we're going to have to deal with a complicated puzzle. For this, I need the remaining Sages to stay here near the switch, but be careful of the boulders around. Zelda, I need you to come with me to a higher level, Saria, I need you to stay alert for when I call you." Link said.  
"Sure thing." Saria and Zelda said, nodding while the other Sages were confused.  
"What's going on?" Rauru asked.  
"These floating blocks can be moved into position by means of the switches on the floor, obviously a mechanic invented by whoever made this tower in the first place. I will need the assistance of Saria and Zelda with this, as I have given them the means to help in solving the puzzles up ahead." Link said, before he took Zelda and used his Hookshot to take him with her to the ledge above. Link however came in full sight of a Beamos as he led Zelda to the switch, but the Princess intercepted it and destroyed it with a bomb before it could strike Link, who blinked at this.  
"Whoa, thanks." He said.  
"Don't mention it. At least we're somewhat even for now." Zelda said with a smile.  
Link smiled back.  
"So, what do you want me to do?" She then asked.  
"I want you to stand on that floor switch over there, while I go to an even higher ledge up there to hit another one." Link said.  
Nodding, Zelda went to stand on the switch, keeping a close watch on the Boulders rolling around, while Link went to the higher ledge to stand on the switch there, the two blocks that were connected to it moving into place on a higher level from the bottom.  
"Saria, can you hear me?" Link then shouted down.  
"Loud and clear, Link." He heard her voice several meters below on the lower ledge.  
"Stand on the floor switch on where you are and play the 'Elegy of Emptiness'. The statue you'll make will keep the switch in place." Link said.  
"Gotcha." Saria said, doing as requested, causing the third and final floating block to move into place.  
"Zelda, play the Elegy of Emptiness to keep the switch down with your statue." Link said.  
"Understood." Zelda said, nodding as she took the Ocarina of Time.  
Link grabbed his own Ocarina to play the Elegy of Emptiness himself, creating his own statue that held the switch in place. The other Sages, except Impa, blinked at the Statues that were created of Saria, Zelda and Link as the song was played and the group proceeded onward to the second floor, crossing the floating platforms there in turn. The same procedure was repeated with the second switch puzzle, with the group avoiding the boulders as best as they could while crossing the area. They also spotted a platform that had several ReDeads on it as well as several jars, but with the way it was out of their reach unless they used their Hookshot on the post, they decided to ignore it. It would save them a lot of trouble anyway. Eventually the group arrived on the platform that held a broken Owl Statue, with at the far side the entrance to the Stone Tower Temple, the entrance looking like a mouth with a stone face around it. with two Fire barriers burning in the black patches that appeared to be eyes.  
"So this is the Stone Tower Temple itself?" Zelda asked.  
"The entrance to it at least…" Link said, shuddering as he, Saria and Zelda solved the final block puzzle to create a bridge that would let them reach the entrance of the Temple itself.  
Link himself felt another shiver going down his spine as he hopped over the platforms, while the others followed one by one, with Impa being the last to follow as she was quite mesmerized by the statues that Zelda made, wondering how her own statue would look like considering she overheard Link teaching the song to Saria and Zelda in the first place.  
"Now I understand how you felt when scaling this frigging tower the first time." Zelda said after the group safely reached the other side, with Saria nodding in agreement.  
"The only thing I'm happy about is that the tower is right side up." Link said, bracing himself for what was to come.

Upon entering the Temple, the group could see some parts being upside down, in remembrance of what Link had told them before about his adventures in the Temple before. They could also notice several enemies around, including a Real Bombchu on the small, separated pathway ahead, two mutated Dragonflies who were flying around, several Mad Scrubs which were located around the area, but remained in place, four Corrupt Assault Spear Soldiers with their trident-like spears wearing red-colored armor with horned helmets patrolling around to and fro, four Ball and Chain Soldiers with gold-colored armor, whom were apparently guarding the doors to the left and right and finally two Stalfos who were guarding the door directly ahead.  
"Well, crud." Link said.  
"They definitely increased security out here…" Zelda said.  
"Good thing we have some new weapons to deal with them." Saria said.  
"Right. We'd better take out those Dragonflies to make sure they don't become a bother; those tails are electrically charged so you'll get zapped the moment you'll be hit by them." Link said, using his bow and arrow to attack one of the Dragonflies, missing two shots due to the erratic pattern, but scoring a hit on his third attempt, defeating the Dragonfly.  
Saria and Zelda double-teamed the other Dragonfly, defeating it. However, two of the Assault Spear Soldiers clocked the group and began to throw their spears at them. The group narrowly avoided the incoming spears, with Zelda using an Ice Arrow to strike one of them, freezing him solid, while Link fired a Fire Arrow at the other, setting him ablaze. This gave the group some reprieve as it allowed them to properly recover and get prepared for another fight. The Real Bombchu was running around in a frenzy, its Bomb on the tail lit, but forming no real danger yet. Zelda took out the Spear Soldier she froze with an Ice Arrow, while Impa, Ruto and Nabooru took out the Spear Soldier that Link set on fire, although the other two Spear Soldiers came to the aid of their comrades. Link managed to reflect one Deku Nut projectile back at the Mad Scrub who fired it, before shooting an arrow at it to take it out, only for Link to be pushed out of the way to the ground by Saria, saving him from an incoming spear which grazed her side, causing Saria to hiss in pain as it left a cut there. Grabbing the spear, Link tossed it back at the Assault Spear Soldier, intercepting another spear in the process before Link fired an Ice Arrow of his own at it, freezing him. But no sooner had Saria helped Link up, when suddenly both of them were clocked in their backs by the spiked ball from one of the Ball and Chain Troopers, sending them back to a wall near the entrance, leaving a slight imprint on it there. Seeing this, Princess Ruto went in Shield position to activate her Electric Barrier, zapping the Assault Spear Soldier and the Mad Scrubs she was attacking in the process, before moving over to where Link and Saria were, intercepting the Ball and Chain Trooper with her Magic Boomerang to stun it, before she unleashed her Ether Medallion to freeze all other enemies around instantly, giving the group some time to recover while she tended to Link and Saria. The freezing proved to be a godsend, since it allowed Darunia to clobber one of the Assault Spear Soldiers onto the real Bombchu, defeating them both, thus killing two birds with one stone. Rauru, Impa and Nabooru took out the remaining Assault Spear Soldier and two Mad Scrubs, leaving just the Stalfos, three more Mad Scrubs and the Ball and Chain Troopers.

Despite their injuries, Link and Saria got up with Ruto's help and, with the assistance of her and Zelda whom had taken out one Mad Scrub by herself, began to take out the Ball and Chain Trooper that attacked Link and Saria both, with Link going so far as taking out the Ball and Chain itself out of its hands, while Saria, Ruto and Zelda defeated it. At the same time, Nabooru, Impa, Rauru and Darunia engaged the two other Ball and Chain Troopers, dealing with them with more ease since Darunia just clobbered one of them with his Goron Punches, while Rauru, Impa and Nabooru teamed up on the other one. Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto then attacked the final Ball and Chain Trooper that was present, with Saria yanking the Ball and Chain out of its hands, while Link, Zelda and Ruto defeated it in turn. This also gave Link and Saria a brand new weapon; the Ball and Chain they looted from the Troopers, taking it with them, while Zelda and Ruto took out the remaining Mad Scrubs, which only left the Stalfos, which were fortunately confined to the small path ahead.  
"Are you alright?" Link then asked Saria.  
"I'm fine, it's not as bad as it looks." Saria said, right before Link gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, making Saria blink and look at Link.  
"Thanks for saving me from that spear that had my name on it." Link then said with a smile, which made Saria smile as she absent-mindedly rubbed the cheek that Link just kissed.  
"It's… it's no problem at all…" Saria said, blushing even before regaining her composure and waited for the others as they returned, but not before giving Link a quick hug and a soft kiss on his cheek in return.  
Nabooru gasped at seeing a few red patches on the backs of Link and Saria.  
"What happened?!" She asked.  
"It's not as bad as it looks, Nabooru; one of the Ball and Chain Troopers nailed the both of us in our backs." Saria said, with Link carefully stretching a bit.  
"And what's that on your side?" Impa asked.  
"A spear just grazed me there." Saria said, smiling as the group gathered again, moving towards the left door which apparently was the only one directly available at the time, considering that the other ones were blocked with iron bars…

Upon entering the next room, the group noticed some more Real Bombchus around, coupled with two Dodongos.  
"Oh, man… we must have really entered the big boss' lair in here…" Nabooru said, while Link made one Dodongo eat a Bomb, blasting it from the inside in the process and defeating it, its detonation taking out two of the Real Bombchus out with it.  
"In Termina, yes… but there's still the one in Hyrule we need to deal with…" Impa said.  
"Point taken."  
Zelda used a bomb of her own to kill the second Dodongo, with Saria and Ruto taking out the remaining Real Bombchus, using Link's advice to keep the shield ready to defend against them if necessary. Surprisingly, there was no switch puzzle in here this time around, something which surprised Link as he expected to continue the routine of playing the Elegy of Emptiness again to progress. As he moved on, he saw that the gate that was normally blocking the path wasn't present at all, as if it had been removed or something. This was something that unsettled him, but he remained focused as the group moved on to the next room.

Upon arriving in the open area, they already spotted the open hole in the ground that was left open, while up ahead in the room were just two Eyegores. Seeing one of them approaching them, Link took out his Bow and lined up an arrow, but he stood in position, waiting. While the Sages looked on in wonder, Link suddenly felt a rush going through his body, which began to focus on the arrow he was holding. When the Eyegore's eye colored yellow again as he was now close enough, Link let the arrow fly, which struck the Eyegore with a force that instantly killed it, causing the Sages, as well as Link himself, to blink!  
"What the-?! How did you do that?!" Zelda asked.  
"I… I don't know! I just waited for him to come closer, although I did feel a rush going through me…" Link replied.  
"Wait, didn't that Ancient Fire Sage give us this 'burst' thing he told us about?!" Darunia then said.  
"I remember now! I think what I did must have been what he gave us, which allowed us to inflict more damage than normal, although the cons of it makes it kinda useless for arrows. With swords on the other hand…" Link said.  
"I think we may have the right chance to beat this Temple after all. It's a shame we ran out of Light Arrows back during our fight against the Army of Darkness when the invasion of Hyrule began…" Zelda said.  
"That's right." Link said, while Saria took out the second Eyegore.  
"Should we drop down the hole?" Ruto asked.  
"No; there's a staircase at the other side that leads to the same room below that leads to a single room; there's another door at the far side of the room here though... It's only a shame I don't have the Mirror Shield with me now…" Link said.  
"We'll find our way around, don't worry. And we'll see what every room contains so we are sure we haven't forgotten anything." Saria said, patting his shoulder, before moving on with him and the others to the stairs, going down.

Upon arriving in the room, there was a pool with lava ahead, but seeing the two Armos Statues inside the lava made it appear as if the pool was very undeep, which was further proven by Darunia as the lava didn't reach up to halfway his toes, with Darunia himself being unaffected by the lava, due to the Goron's natural resistance to it. Darunia took out the two Armos Statues, just as a few Nejirons appeared, which Darunia also took out.  
"Makes me wish I was lava resistant." Ruto said.  
"Well, the Goron Tunics makes us somewhat lava resistant, mostly to ponds like that. Against the more lethal lava we have seen in that Sanctuary as well as what is in Death Mountain Crater, all the Tunics would do is make us resistant to the heat; if we would fall in the lava there, we'd be lava soup." Link said, with Ruto nodding in understanding.  
"I got us a new map here." Darunia said, having located a chest with the map of the Stone Tower Temple, moving back to the group so they all could look at the Temple's overview.  
"So, where do we go now?" Nabooru asked.  
"We need to go back up the stairs and head for a door that is on our left once we enter that open room again." Link said.  
"Right, let's go and see what else is hidden for us." Zelda said as the group went on towards the staircase and back in the open room, moving to the door on the left as Link said.

Entering the room, Link noticed that there were ladders present on either side of the area which was once filled with water, the water level itself having been reduced to about chest height for a child. To their left was a pathway going to the right with a dead end that had a Beamos standing by, ready to attack anyone within its range. On the far side of the room was yet another Ball and Chain Trooper, flanked by two Bomb Soldiers and two Bow Soldiers, while on their direct right was a single Stalfos, who was ready to attack. In the water area itself were several Shaboms and Stingers, coupled with a few Octoroks. Darunia engaged the Stalfos by himself, while Link, Saria and Zelda used the projectiles fired by the nearest Octoroks at them to their advantage, using their shields to deflect them to the other side, taking out the patrolling Bow Soldiers after a moment as well as one of the Bomb Soldiers. Ruto on the other hand used Deku Nuts to defeat the Shaboms and stun the Octoroks that were too close, allowing the group to take them out safely, while Nabooru used her Sword Spark to take out the second Bomb Soldier. Impa used one of the Bombs to take out the Beamos for good measure, while Rauru was standing by to assist Darunia to stun the Stalfos for him. Shortly after that, Link, Zelda and Saria worked together to take out the Ball and Chain Trooper, making him drop his own Ball and Chain which rolled into the water, ready for Zelda to collect this time, before he was taken out with a charged Arrow shot. After that, the group jumped down into the water, with Darunia using the Goron Pound to shake up the Stingers and defeating the Octoroks, with the others striking at the Stingers with Arrows, Deku Seeds, the Boomerang Fins and the Boomerang itself and even the Hookshots to defeat them all.  
"Whew, that was quite a fight." Saria said as Zelda indeed collected the Ball and Chain that was lying on the bottom of the water pool they were in.  
"Yeah, but there's a lot more coming up soon…" Link said, waiting until Zelda joined the group again while carrying her new weapon with her.  
Moving on, the group made their way into a corridor where there was previously a Dexihand present, using a ladder to reach it.

"This place really has become different; perhaps the adaptations were made to house the proper materials for making this into a stronghold?" Link said, scratching his head.  
"That's likely." Zelda said as she and Saria were walking at Link's sides, with Ruto behind him and behind her were the adults of the group. Upon arriving in the next room, they saw that there too the water level had been lowered, but it would still make Darunia fall to the bottom, unable to escape. Fortunately, Saria helped out by generating vines to attach themselves to the wall, making them strong and tough enough to be climbed on towards a pathway that Link mentioned to them as the group observed the area. Upon arriving there, they saw the sun shining on the center of the path with a mirror at the far side of the room.  
"That mirror looks weird…" Zelda said as she went to check it out.  
"It is; it is capable of absorbing light from the sun when it's pointed directly at it, before it releases the light of its own to solve specific puzzles with. Fortunately these have been solved already…" Link said, smiling as he and the others joined her, with Nabooru checking out a nearby chest.  
"Great, a compass! Now we should be able to see where we are on the map." She said, which brought quite a relief to Ruto.  
Studying the map, they saw that the door ahead would bring them back to the entrance, so they went the other way instead. After going through the door and entering the room, they noticed that there were several Sun faces around, with one of them being already active in a happy smile.  
"Check that out, more of those mirrors… and what are those black things around here?" Saria said.  
"Black Boes. Easy to defeat, but quite an annoyance in numbers, especially when they jump at you." Link said as the group moved on, killing the Black Boes where necessary. Just as they were about to reach the next room, a couple of Nejirons suddenly appeared, ready to roll into the group. However, the group responded quicker and let loose some arrows or their Hookshots to blow the Nejirons to pieces, allowing the group to proceed. Upon arriving in the next room, the others gulped as there was again some lava around.  
"Don't worry, there should be a shortcut in the form of a ladder that allows us to bypass the lava." Link said as he went to a ladder to climb down, after which he waited for the others while taking down a few Fire Keeses along the way. Darunia on the other hand just jumped down and waded through the lava as it was nothing to him, deciding to make use of it and help Link in guiding the others safely around the lava.  
"At least my feet are getting nicely warmed up…" Darunia said.  
"Heh, lucky you." Nabooru said, giggling.  
Moving onward, the group made their way to the other side, where they smiled as the ladder Link mentioned was indeed present, allowing the group, including Darunia, to climb up towards another doorway, with Zelda taking out another Fire Keese before she climbed up the ladder. A Real Bombchu spotted them as well, but since it was once again on a place where it couldn't reach the group, the Real Bombchu just kept on running until its bomb detonated, killing it while the group ignored it.  
"Hm, so far only the Fire Keese and that suicidal Bombchu…" Impa said, narrowing her eyes as the group rested up a bit again, trying to calm themselves down despite the atmosphere of death around them.  
"Yes, apparently this room and the few we've been in before were apparently of little importance." Link said, taking a sip of some Red Potion he had taken with him, before giving some to Saria, who also eagerly took a sip of it.  
"Whew, so far we made through it alive…" Rauru said.  
"So far, so good indeed. But now is not the time for overconfidence." Impa said.  
"Indeed. If this is supposed to be a stronghold, I believe that what we have been through so far is only a tip of the iceberg." Link said, while Zelda took a sip of the Red Potion.  
"Right. We should keep our guard up at all times." Zelda said after handing the bottle over to Ruto.  
After a few minutes, the group got ready to enter the next room. Upon entering the next room however, the door closed behind them with iron bars, trapping them in the room. As the group looked around, they could hear a dark chuckle from within the room itself, instantly making them draw their weapons, before looking straight ahead…


	38. Chapter 38: Making Twisted Progress

_Chapter 38: Making twisted progress_

As the group looked ahead, they could see another enemy looking at them in the room. It appeared to be a large, armored reptilian, probably a relative of the Lizalfos and Dinolfos, wielding a Ball and Chain itself!  
"I'm surprised you even made it this far, given the circumstances… I expected that you would be driven to eternal sleep in that music box house…" It said.  
"What?! So it was YOU who played that Melody of Darkness in the house!" Link said, getting furious.  
"You could say I did. Then again, it would be a shame for you to perish so easily…" It said, twirling the spiked ball around.  
"Great, another sick, twisted maniac!" Saria said.  
The creature laughed.  
"The Great Ganondorf and Majora will be very pleased when I, Darkhammer, can report of your demise by my hands. I'll make this short and as little painful as I can." It said, before swinging the Ball and Chain towards the group, intending to crush them.  
However, before it could impact against the faces of Link, Saria and Zelda, someone intercepted the Ball and Chain, catching it with his bare hands! It was Darunia whom acted accordingly!  
"We've had enough of such crap of you and your leaders, begone!" Darunia snapped as he tossed the ball and chain back, slugging it into the Darkhammer's gut.  
The Darkhammer grunted as the ball and chain hit it, sending it back a few feet and making it fall on the ground with a *THUD!*, after which it stood up…  
"Okay, forget about the short and less painful… I'll gladly make you suffer instead!" It then hollered, regaining his ball and chain and swinging the ball around like a lasso, intending to inflict serious pain on the group.

The others already drew their weapons and were ready to assist Darunia, just as several Dinolfos and Lizalfos came in the area to assist what appeared to be their leader, as if the Darkhammer was like a commander to them like the Stalfos Commander was within the Forest outpost, commanding large numbers of Stalfos at its leisure.  
"I'll handle this Darkhammer, you'd better keep those Dinolfos and Lizalfos off my back when I do." Darunia said to the others.  
"Gotcha, Brother, we'll provide the back-up you need." Link said, nodding.  
"That's the spirit. Now let's show this freak who's boss!" Darunia said, rubbing his hands together as he was quite eager to deliver some pain on the offending Darkhammer.

The battle began shortly after as the group engaged the enemies. Link, Saria and Zelda brandished their own ball and chains which they had looted from the Ball and Chain Troopers whom they defeated earlier in the Temple, swinging the ball around while ensuring they weren't in each other's way before tossing it at the incoming Dinolfos, with great effect as it practically caved their skulls in right away. Princess Ruto made use of her Electric Barrier to stun several Lizalfos, allowing Nabooru and Impa to slash them to pieces, with Rauru blasting several other Dinolfos with his Light-based attacks. Darunia himself engaged the Darkhammer, using his own strength to block the incoming Ball and Chain when it was tossed at him, sending it right back at him, which in turn began to damage the Darkhammer's armor in a style reminiscent of the Iron Knuckles. While the Lizalfos and Dinolfos were easy to deal with, the Darkhammer was a tougher cookie to crack. Still, Darunia was a formidable fighter in his own right, even though he welcomed the assistance of the remaining Sages as well as Link himself. Darunia kept the focus on keeping the Ball and Chain occupied, while Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru went in close range to strike at the Darkhammer to get rid of its armor, being backed up by Impa and Rauru. The Darkhammer then kicked Nabooru and Ruto to the side, before pulling the Ball and Chain out of Darunia's hands, swinging it to knock Darunia to the side, taking Rauru and Impa along with him. It then kicked Saria right into Link and Zelda both, making them fall to the ground, before it raised its Ball and Chain into the air and smashed it right on top of the three children, with the remaining Sages clearly hearing the painful yelps of the three as the ball and chain hit its mark, creating an indent in the floor as well. Immediately Nabooru responded by charging at the Darkhammer, only for it to swing its Ball and Chain to her, catching her in the side, breaking a few ribs in the process, after which it smashed the ball back on the three children, taking pleasure in torturing them like this. Impa could hear the moans coming from underneath the ball, which meant that the three were hurt badly…  
"You monster!" Impa snarled, charging at the Darkhammer, only to be smacked aside as well.  
"Wait your turn, woman; once I'm done with these three…" The Darkhammer said, preparing to smash the ball and chain back on Link, Saria and Zelda, but as it landed, he was suddenly met with resistance… before the ball was being lifted up by one pair of arms… followed by a second pair… and a third pair…  
Darunia, Rauru and Ruto looked on in surprise, as the ball and chain was then tossed right into the Darkhammer's face, sending it to the far side of the room, shattering its armor in the process as he landed. Darunia immediately went to the impact area of where the ball and chain had landed on, the other Sages following right away, although Nabooru winced due to her broken ribs. Out of the small indent however climbed Link, before he helped Saria and Zelda out together. The three suffered major injuries, seen as their outfits were partially torn and sported several red stains around that was obviously blood, but the three were still alive and, by the looks of it, were still able to fight. The Darkhammer however recovered swiftly, rubbing its head.  
"GET THEM!" He then said as a call to someone else out in the room.  
It was then that the door on the other side of the room opened up, revealing several Iron Knuckles, Stalfos, Assault Sword Soldiers and Moblins, while from the sky came a Garo Master, who summoned several of its Garo Robe comrades in response. Seeing this, Darunia responded by invoking his own Sage Powers through his Fire Medallion and, after spreading his arms wide, he created a dome of fire around the group as if creating a Fire Shield around them. Seeing her chance, Saria responded by activating her Forest Medallion, summoning vines that began to wrap themselves around the group in general, leaving the Darkhammer and the other enemies stunned…

Inside the barrier of vines, Saria then let some newer vines touch herself on her right shoulder, as well as making it touch the shoulders of Link, Zelda and Nabooru as well as the others, attaching themselves to them.  
"Saria?! What are you doing?!" Link asked, blinking.  
"Shh." Saria said, meaning for Link to be silent for this.  
Link wisely shut his mouth, when a green glow began to envelop the entire group, after which whatever injuries they had suffered so far were being soothed… as if it was healing their wounds! Link did a serious double-take as he could feel his wounds closing up and healing over, while there was no sensation of pain at all. Nabooru winced a little as she could feel her broken ribs being set back into place, the apparent painful feeling being rapidly soothed by a feeling of comfort washing over her as the damage done to her was being repaired. She blinked at this, while Zelda also had her powers active around the group, with Link relaxing in the glow.

After several minutes, the glow dissipated and the group was healed over, although Saria collapsed to her hands and knees, being exhausted as the vine barrier started to whither, revealing to the group that only a couple of seconds had passed, as Zelda had invoked the aid of the Goddess of Time for this. Link managed to give Saria some of the Green Potion he had with him, restoring Saria's powers along the way.  
"Thank you." Saria said, smiling.  
"No, I should be thanking you for using your powers like that." Link said, hugging Saria while Darunia exploded his barrier outward, damaging the enemies around them, just like how Link deploys his Din's Fire magic attack.  
Saria smiled, returning the hug before she let go, with Link brandishing the Purified Fierce Deity's Mask, putting it on in order to transform to Fierce Deity Link, wielding his Double Helix Sword as he was ready to make mincemeat of the enemies.  
"Now it's our turn." Fierce Deity Link said as the group now went on the counteroffensive.  
Fierce Deity Link focused on the Garo Master, with Zelda and Saria assisting him to keep the Garo Robes at bay, using the knowledge they had about them from possessing one each in the Gerudo Fortress back when they were spirits to their advantage to take them out swiftly, each Garo Robe disintegrating in sheets of green flames as they held on their policy of dying without leaving a corpse. The revitalized Nabooru let loose her frustrations on the Assault Sword Soldiers, her twin Gilded Scimitar Blades being more than enough to attack multiple of them at once. Darunia grabbed one of the Stalfos by his leg as the latter attempted a jump attack, swinging the skeletal warrior around before tossing him into the mall group of Iron Knuckles, smashing the Stalfos to pieces in this regard as well as damaging the Iron Knuckles. Princess Ruto used her Ether Medallion to freeze all enemies in place, which in turn allowed Impa and Rauru to aid their comrades by decimating the Stalfos and Moblins. Knowing how it fought, Fierce Deity Link avoided the incoming Garo Master, rolling behind it and performing a Back Slice against it, damaging the Garo Master in the process. He repeated this maneuver again a second time, this time defeating the Garo Master, after which the Garo Master brandished a bomb to commit its ritual suicide, which in turn gave Fierce Deity Link the opportunity and freedom to aid his friends, using a Great Spin to destroy a few more Garo Robes to relieve some pressure onto Zelda and Saria, before engaging one of the Iron Knuckles once he knew the two faced the last ones of the Garo present. Darunia, Rauru and Impa joined Fierce Deity Link shortly after while Ruto and Nabooru assisted Saria and Zelda, after which only the Iron Knuckles remained, which were soon stripped off their armor and then defeated using the newly acquired Bomb Arrows. The Darkhammer was shocked at seeing the group rejuvenated and decimating the troops like that, before the group turned to face it, making it angry and brandishing the Ball and Chain again, charging at them. This time however, Saria intercepted it by firing an Ice Arrow herself, freezing the Darkhammer solid, after which she, together with Zelda and Link, used their own Ball and Chains to smash the frozen Darkhammer to pieces, defeating it and FINALLY ending the brutal fight, after which the group relaxed a bit, ignoring the chest that appeared in the room for now. Fierce Deity Link returned back to normal as he took off the mask, reverting back to Link himself as he leaned against the chest, sitting down against it. Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru soon joined him, with Impa, Rauru and Darunia following.  
"Wow… any more battles like this one and we'll have one workout that will definitely test us to the core." Ruto said.  
"You got that right." Link said, nodding at her as the group rested together.

A few minutes later, the group got back up, with Link opening the chest where, to his surprise, he located an item that they initially had ran out of at the start, but now had regained for the moment: The sacred Light Arrows.  
"Alright, Light Arrows!" Zelda said, smiling with joy.  
"I have a feeling we will be needing them soon." Link said, making Zelda nod as the group went on its way again into the next room.  
When they arrived in the next room however, they blinked at what they saw. They had arrived in what appeared to be a small hallway, this time there were no enemies around as they had decimated them in the previous room already, but what surprised them was the amount of crates and chests around, which looked different from the ones they had seen before.  
"What is this place?!" Nabooru asked.  
"This must be some kind of storage room for them…" Link said, checking out one of the chests where he discovered several bombs, arrows and spears, obviously meant for the Corrupted Soldiers to be used as ammo during their battles.  
"And what is that sound I hear, as if something sharp is colliding with a hard surface?" Zelda asked.  
"That's from a Spiked Roller moving around on a lower part of this area. We're above it in this room, so we won't be bothered by it in this regard." Link said.  
The others nodded as the group decided to use some of the arrows and bombs present to replenish their supplies, after which Darunia laid down a powder keg with a long fuse to destroy what was left in order to deprive the enemy of some of their weapons, with Impa and Rauru taking on some of the spears as well to have a melee/ranged weapon of their own other than their own daggers/blades. Once the group restocked on ammunition, they carefully ventured one after the other over the path towards the door on the far side of the room, which was a hallway with guardrails at the side and a single Eyegore at the far side of the room. Zelda and Saria took care of the Eyegore by shooting it in its eye when it was yellow, defeating it together after which the group went towards the next door, which took them back to the now cleared entrance of the Temple. Once there, after taking out the Stalfos that remained there, they felt the room shaking a bit as the Powder Keg exploded, doing its job into crippling the enemy's supply of ammunition.  
"Well, this was it, right?" Zelda asked as they went outside to the Stone Tower area itself.  
"I hope so…" Link said, seeing that the bridge they had made to enter the Temple was still in place, allowing the group to hop over it and back towards the platform they saw as a safe area, although this puzzled Link as the statues they had made were gone, seeing that rocks had replaced them.  
Just as the group arrived on that platform however, a small band of Gerudo Pirates arrived in the area, surrounding them.  
"You have made it this far, but this is where your trip ends." One of the Pirates said.  
"Oh yeah?! Who says?!" Nabooru said, holding her blades tightly.  
"Lord Ganondorf won't be happy when he learns of you penetrating his stronghold here…" The Pirate replied.  
"How about this?!" Zelda then asked, charging up a Light Arrow and shot it at the Pirate, whom deflected it to the side…  
"Hah! That didn't help you much did you, what do you think-"  
The Gerudo Pirate didn't finish her sentence as there was a golden flash for a moment, indicating the Light Arrow hit a target, followed a split second later by a chiming sound.  
"What was that?" The Pirate asked, while the group looked around.  
Suddenly, Link gasped out in horror, seeing what has caused the chiming sound.  
"What is it?" Saria asked, just as the tower began to rumble.  
"W – What's going on?!" Impa asked as the Gerudo Pirates looked around as well.  
"Step back everyone…" Link said in a shaky voice, taking a few steps closer to the wall behind.  
Confused, the Sages did so… just as the whole area seemed to move… as if it was turning…  
"What is happening?! Why are we-?!" Zelda asked, unable to finish her sentence as the entire Stone Tower suddenly flipped upside down, with the entire group suddenly screaming as they fell from the ground-turned ceiling onto the ceiling turned ground, although a few screams sounded more terrified and longer before fading altogether. Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Darunia, Impa and Rauru as well as a few Pirates whom were initially surrounding them were dazed from the landing, while the Pirate Group's Leader and a few of her underlings were nowhere to be seen…

Link held his head, shaking the stars out of his vision as he tried to get himself together, before he blinked as he sat up. He noticed that the entire Stone Tower area had been flipped upside down, trapping the group inside the area with directly ahead the flipped entrance to the Stone Tower Temple, with four blocks that served as a bridge floating in the air. He also noticed that these blocks had the image of the Triforce on them, but had no connection to Hyrule's Royal Family in turn…  
"Oh, dear Goddesses…" He said, "please guide us safely through this ordeal…"  
Just then he heard Zelda moan as she recovered.  
"What happened?!" She asked as Link crawled to her.  
"I have some good news and some bad news…" Link said.  
"Start with the good…"  
"The good news is that you and I, as well as the Six Sages, are still together and alive." Link said.  
"That's terrific, but what's the bad news then?"  
"The Stone Tower area is now flipped upside down."  
"What?! Are you kidding me?!"  
"No, just look around…"  
Zelda looked around and saw that the Stone Tower area itself was now up into what was used to by the sky… and that the sky was now BELOW them…  
"Oh no! How could this have happened?" She asked.  
"One of the Pirates deflected the Light Arrow you fired and it struck the Red Emblem at the Temple's entrance by mere coincidence. I'm afraid our duties concerning the Stone Tower Temple aren't concluded just yet." Link said.  
Zelda looked down as if ashamed.  
"Hey, don't look so down; none of us could have seen this coming. Take comfort in the fact that I know where we have to go in this Temple, so we should be able to move through it safely." Link said, putting a hand on Zelda's shoulder.  
"Are you certain of this?" Zelda asked.  
"I am." Link said, confidence shining in his voice, just as Saria and the others recovered…

Once Link and the Sages had recovered and Link informed the Sages of what has happened, they prepared themselves for the inevitable, which was that they had to move through the Stone Tower Temple now it was upside down. Just then, the four Pirates whom were with the group on the main platform also recovered, with the group noticing that the jewelry on their foreheads had cracked or were even completely destroyed.  
"Ugh, what has happened here?" One of the Gerudo asked.  
"Why is everything… upside down?" Another asked.  
"The Temple area had been flipped upside down." Nabooru said to them.  
Seeing Nabooru, the Gerudo all bowed down to her.  
"Lady Nabooru, please forgive us… we were put under a spell by Ganondorf himself in order to guard this facility." One of them said.  
"Wait, where is our commander here?" A second Gerudo asked.  
Link walked to the edge of the platform they were on and looked down into the sky. There he saw partially broken glaives sticking into the wall, as if they had been stabbed in there as a form of a last ditch attempt to get a grip on a wall and save themselves to climb up. Sighing, Link turned to the others and shook his head.  
"I'm afraid you won't be seeing her, as well as a few of her comrades, again." He said, causing the group to move to the edge and looking down, seeing what Link had seen, causing the four Gerudo to gasp in horror, two of them silently weeping even, while Nabooru looked on solemnly.  
Then, Nabooru saw Link hopping on the blocks, heading towards the Temple.  
"Link? Where are you going?" Nabooru asked.  
"I'm going to end this; the sooner this place is cleansed from the evil inside, the sooner we can get out of here and we won't have to return to this place ever again. I don't like this place as much as you do, but this is a case of having to face and overcome your fears." Link said, before moving into the entrance of the Temple.

Entering the Temple in its inverted state, Link looked around, sighing as he resigned himself to what has to come, seeing the path going down to an opened chest and a safe platform ahead.  
"Link, wait up!" He heard Zelda say.  
Link turned around, seeing Zelda, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru enter the Temple, shortly followed by Impa, Darunia and Rauru. Also joining in were the four Gerudo Pirates, whom wished to join up for this to give the group extra manpower for this area. Link smiled at them.  
"Glad you could join." He said, smiling.  
"No problem; if you wish to finish the job here, we're here to help." Zelda said, smiling as well.  
Link nodded in appreciation, before carefully moving down the path and towards the right, where he moved towards the door that was present there, remembering where he had to go.  
"You know, it may seem weird but the shape of the stone statue ahead looks like an idol of Majora's Mask…" Impa said, taking a good look at it as she waited her turn.  
Link looked towards the statue.  
"You know, you're right. I never noticed that up until now…" Link said.  
"Maybe the ancient tribe has made this into their home?" Zelda asked.  
"Possibly, but it could also allude further to the theories that go with this temple, I don't know for sure." Link said, before he entered the door, arriving in a hallway where the first light-absorbing mirror was found.  
Upon moving into the larger room, the group could see that the water was now gone and that the holes in the ceiling from which the sunlight came through had been turned into air currents, blowing air from below which was strong enough to lift even a Goron up in the air.  
"Where do we go from here?" Zelda asked.  
"The door to continue here is on the top left, close to the ceiling. Saria, can you make us something that will make us reach it with the aid of these air currents here?" Link asked.  
"Sure thing." Saria said with a smile, focusing her powers to create large leaves of a large tree, big enough to make it like a makeshift umbrella.  
Link smiled at this, taking one of the leaves and held it above his head, gripping the sides tightly before jumping in the air current to the left… which blew air in the leaf from below, making it become a makeshift parachute that first lifted Link upward to the ceiling and in turn making him glide towards the door he wanted to go in. Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru and Saria herself followed shortly, while Link opened the door to make room for the others to join in. Darunia was given a stronger leaf that would help in getting him join with the other Sages, while the four Gerudo Pirates obediently followed as well.

Upon arriving in the next room, the group, excluding Link, blinked at seeing lava flowing at the ceiling, which didn't fall down, but it did release burning rocks from it, which could form a hazard in the room, especially for Ruto. They also noticed a door directly ahead, coupled with the blood-stained red emblem above it. Link waited until everyone was in the room.  
"This is going to get tricky, so brace yourselves." Link said, preparing a Light Arrow.  
"What are you doing?" Zelda asked.  
"I'll be turning this room around once so we can cross the lava, which is at toe-height here, to the center of the room, after which I'll flip it again upside down so we can get through the door. I'll be also carrying Ruto to the center area as well." Link said, making Ruto blush a bit.  
"Are you certain of this?" Saria asked.  
"Trust me, I've done this before." Link said.  
"Hey, I'll be glad to carry you to the other side as well." Darunia said, "this lava doesn't hurt me."  
"Sweet!" Saria said, feeling relieved.  
"In fact, let me carry you in groups to the other side at once, this will let us bypass the lava and the debris and will let us safely get to the other side." Darunia said.  
"Alright then. Brace yourselves since now we're going right side up again." Link said, firing a Light Arrow onto the Red Emblem, which turned the room (and by extension the Temple) right side up again, although this did momentarily trap the group inside the room. Everyone grunted as they fell from the floor-turned ceiling to the ceiling turned floor, while the lava was now on the ground and had no debris falling from it. Recovering swiftly, Darunia then picked up Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto and safely carried them to the other side of the room, wading through the lava without injuries or other problems, setting the four down at the other side. Darunia then returned and repeated this with Impa, Nabooru and two of the Gerudo Pirates, after which he returned again to pick up Rauru and the two remaining Pirates. Once everyone was safely at the other side, Link shot a Light Arrow in the Red Emblem again, turning the room back upside down with everyone landing again on the ceiling-turned floor, but in turn did allow them to exit the room as they were now at the door.  
"Seriously, whoever built this must have had quite a sadistic mind…" Zelda said, grunting as she got back up from the ground.  
"I was thinking along the same lines when I first explored this temple." Link said, helping her up before doing the same with Saria and Ruto.  
Once everyone was up again, the group entered the next room which already had an unlocked door, a block that was in place, the red emblems above the door and a yellow and a green ChuChu that were guarding the door ahead.  
"Good thing this puzzle is already solved…" Link said.  
"How so?" Saria asked.  
"Well, to solve this puzzle, I had to push that block into place, while flipping the room over and over again just to get it into its proper place." Link replied.  
"Wow, that must have been quite tedious." Zelda said as the group moved to the door, taking out the ChuChus along the way and climbing up using either the block as a stepping stone or just climbing directly on top of the platform before heading for the door, moving through it to enter the next room…


	39. Chapter 39: Another old enemy

_Chapter 39: Another old enemy…_

As the group arrived in the next room, the first thing they noticed was that they were now in the room where Darunia collected the map, with the lava on the ceiling and it unleashing burning debris at regular intervals. On top of that, a Wizrobe appeared in the room, with fire sticking from the top of its cane.  
"Oh for Nayru's sake, not THIS guy again!?" Link said, facepalming in utter frustration.  
"You have faced him before, huh?" Nabooru said.  
"Yeah, this is the SIXTH time I've encountered him." Link replied, seeing the Wizrobe dancing around before teleporting away, appearing again on one of the pads that were laid out spread throughout the room.  
Link immediately saw where he was and blasted him with a Light Arrow, making him vanish and reappear on a different pad, this time Saria shot him with a Light Arrow. Then, the Wizrobe tried to trick the group into making illusionary copies of himself, but the group saw through the trick and struck him again twice with a Light Arrow, defeating it and making the pads vanish.  
"That was way too easy." Zelda commented.  
"I agree." Saria said, as the group made their way to the other side using their Hook- and Clawshots to get on the other side with the aid of a chest that was standing there, with Darunia, Rauru and Impa each taking one of the Gerudo Pirates with them as a passenger to ensure no one gets left behind.  
Moving down the staircase, the group arrived in the open room where there was a hole in the floor to let sunlight through, but now they were on a small platform… There were however small bridges made to the other side of the area instead of being just an open floor that would make one fall into the sky.  
"These bridges are new… apparently the two know about this place and its history…" Link said, moving on the bridge to the right, while Saria covered him by shooting an arrow at one of the Poes that appeared, defeating it. Once the group reached the other side, they climbed into the alcove, finding themselves in the room where they had defeated the Real Bombchus and the Dodongos before… although they were now facing Death Armos, the floating Armos Statues that were waiting for something to move underneath them to crush the unfortunate victim.  
"These freaks will crush us if we pass underneath them!" Nabooru said.  
"I know, which is why we can use this to our advantage." Link said.  
"Huh? How?" One of the Gerudo Pirates asked.  
"Take a look on their bodies; they sport the same red emblem we saw elsewhere in the Temple." Link said.  
"Yeah, I see them!" Zelda said.  
"I can see them too, so what's your idea?" Saria asked.  
"Simple, fire a Light Arrow underneath them to make them flip over and then taunt them into trying to crush us. If done right, they should crash in the floor instead, which critically damages them to make them explode like the normal Armos. You can use your shields to defend against it." Link said.  
"Right." Ruto said, nodding.  
Link demonstrated the tactic by moving to a Death Armos, using a Light Arrow to make it flip over, before moving underneath it on purpose. The Death Armos fell for it, moving to slam down on Link, only for Link to move out of the way, causing the Death Armos to hit the ground head-first instead, making it flash red as it was damaged before detonating in an explosion, never to be seen again.  
"Now THAT is an explosive headache." Link said, causing Zelda, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru to laugh, while Impa, Rauru and Darunia were highly amused. The four Pirates were confused, but chuckled nonetheless.

With the remaining Death Armos being given a similar treatment, the group went on to the next room, entering a room that also had bridges around to connect the areas better. With this in mind, Link shot an arrow to move some Spike Mines out of the way before proceeding to a door at the far side of the area.  
"Oh man, I've seen some crazy stuff, but this is ridiculous!" One of the Pirates said.  
"Yeah; I mean, we're basically upside down now, doesn't this affect the other regions out here?" A second one asked.  
"That thought occurred to me as well," Link said, "but as I used the Song of Soaring to move towards a different location back when the Owl Statues were around, the whole area automatically flipped back to normal, as if negating the effects of the magic that allows the Stone Tower to be flipped like this."  
"So what happens if you do fall down here?" The third Pirate asked.  
"Beats me; you basically fall into the sky and probably land somewhere else. Either way, you're a goner if this happens." Link said.  
Zelda shuddered as the group entered the next door, which led into a safe corridor with numerous crates stacked against the walls, the area being guarded by Two Blue Bubbles and one Green Bubble.  
"Watch yourself around these Blue Bubbles; they can jinx you at the slightest touch!" Link said once the others were in the room, with Saria using a Light Arrow to instantly kill one of the Blue Bubbles.  
Ruto did the same with the second Blue Bubble, while Zelda took out the Green Bubble once its green flames were temporarily extinguished.  
"I wonder what's in the crates…" One of the Pirates said.  
"Definitely some ammunition…" Link mused, opening one crate to see another multitude of arrows.  
"At least they'll be put to good use… for us." Zelda said as she restocked along with Saria, while Nabooru discovered a crate with sealed bottles containing red and green potions.  
"We should take these, just in case." Nabooru said.  
"Right, some extra medical supplies can be useful," Link said, nodding, "although we should probably invest money into acquiring Blue Potions once we move back to Hyrule to take down Ganondorf and Majora once and for all."  
"Blue Potions?" One of the Pirates asked.  
"Yep. Blue potions basically combine the effects of the Red and Green potions, they can help in recovering from injuries quicker AND they will restore magic power if the one who drinks it is both wounded AND drained at the same time." Link said.  
"A wise idea to invest in them then." Zelda said, nodding.  
"I'm also considering to get us some Chateau Romani as well, so we'll have infinite magic power for the next three days." Link then said.  
The group nodded as they entered the next room, after which the door closed behind them…

"What's going on here?!" Nabooru asked.  
"Hmmm, I fought Gomess the last time I was here…" Link said, drawing his blade as he was ready to confront whatever was ahead.  
"You have exceeded my expectations…" A dark voice then sounded… it was Ganondorf!  
"Ganondorf!" Link and Zelda said, with Zelda also drawing her sword, just like Link…  
"I never thought you'd be foolish enough to enter our domain here in Termina's Stone Tower and yet here you are, in complete defiance of my destiny as King of the World…" Ganondorf said with a dark chuckle.  
"Screw you! All you want is power, while the people of Hyrule and Termina languish in poverty and starvation!" Zelda snapped.  
"And don't think we've forgotten what you did to us not too long ago!" Nabooru snarled, also drawing her weapons, as did the other Sages and their Gerudo Pirate allies.  
"It would be foolish of me to think just that, Nabooru… now that I know that death has been unable to stop you so far…" Ganondorf said.  
"Then come here and show your face so we can put you in your place!" Link then said.  
"Well, sounds like you got a talent for rhyming too, boy… a kid of many talents and with such a fighting spirit…" Ganondorf said as the area began to turn dark.  
Immediately the Sages, Link and their allies were at full alert, keeping a close watch on each other, just as a figure approached them. It was as tall as Ganondorf himself, but instead of his face, it wore a skeletal-like helmet and was wielding a staff. It was Phantom Ganon!  
"Out of all the beings…" Saria said, remembering how Phantom Ganon had captured her and trapped her within the Forest Temple, causing Link to go in and defeat him which in turn awakened her as a Sage in the first place.  
"Brings back memories, huh?" Phantom Ganon said with a dark chuckle, twirling his staff around as if he was ready to attack.  
Link and the Sages were ready to fight back, right before Phantom Ganon charged an electric sphere and fired it at the group, which Link intercepted and reflected it with his sword, which was returned again by Phantom Ganon. Link swatted it back again, which was again returned by their foe, with Link striking it back again. This time however, Phantom Ganon didn't strike it back, but wasn't hit by it either, even when it was directed towards him. Instead, Phantom Ganon moved to the right and charged at the group, staff forward with the intention to strike them directly. The group saw him coming and moved out of the way, with Link rolling to the side, recovering and, seeing he was now behind Phantom Ganon, fired a Light Arrow at him, striking the evil spirit from beyond, whom roared in pain as the light of justice struck him with force. Saria then used this as a ticket to slash Phantom Ganon several times before he knocked her aside with an electric punch. Saria yelped as she was hit like that, causing Link to retaliate with a second Light Arrow, although Phantom Ganon blocked it this time. However, this left him open for Nabooru who charged from the side, slashing at the fiend with her dual Gilded Scimitar Swords, doing substantial damage, before Phantom Ganon whacked her in the face with his staff, before using it to knock Zelda right into Link, after which he used and electric sphere to strike Link and Zelda both, causing the two children to scream in pain as the volatile electricity racked over their bodies. Ruto however used her Dual Fin Boomerangs to attack Phantom Ganon, with the latter avoiding the Fins, but leaving him open for a strike with the Magical Boomerang, stunning it so Rauru could strike it with his Light-based attacks, shortly followed by Darunia pounding on the evil spirit and Impa slashed at it using her daggers. The four Gerudo pirates assisted the group by smacking and stabbing Phantom Ganon with their glaives.  
"You traitors!" Phantom Ganon snarled.  
"Traitors?! Hah! Your eyes tell us that you simply were hungry for power! How can someone who even let people of their OWN KIND suffer be our King?!" One of the Pirates snarled.  
"Putting us in your control to make us do your bidding is also an insult to what we stand for; we may be thieves or pirates, but even WE have standards, unlike you!" The Second pirate snapped.  
"Pah! So you would rather stay confined to the desert or isolated into your fortress at the coast rather than being able to live in the other parts of the world without the harsh climate of the desert?!" Phantom Ganon asked.  
"That is of no concern; our way of living is within OUR hands!" The third Pirate said.  
"So be it then, you were always stubborn fools for defying me first time, but this time your defiance will cost you EVERYTHING!" Phantom Ganon said, swinging his staff like a bat or a club to knock the Pirates aside, right before Link and Zelda performed a Dual Back Slash on him, causing him to roar in pain before turning to face them, blocking their further strikes.  
"You meddlesome kids! If you would have just stayed dead and given your powers to me, you wouldn't be dealing with this pain!" Phantom Ganon roared as he then moved his staff down in a stabbing motion to the two. Link and Zelda both avoided it, but the staff hit the ground near them, unleashing an electric force field that zapped Link and Zelda simultaneously, right before a Light Arrow courtesy of Saria stunned him, ceasing the field, after which Darunia grabbed Phantom Ganon by the neck and, with a fierce Goron Fire Punch, clobbered the fiend to the far side of the room, making Phantom Ganon grunt.

Angered, Phantom Ganon decided to deploy a new tactic and, in a style reminiscent of Meg, one of the Poe Sisters, summoned a total of three copies of himself to keep the group occupied and giving himself the chance to properly fight. These copies were just as tangible as he was, which in turn would make things harder. One of his copies faced the four freed Gerudo Pirates, the second one went up against Impa, Darunia and Rauru and the third clone faced Saria, Ruto and Nabooru, allowing the REAL Phantom Ganon to solely focus on Link and Zelda, who just got up after recovering from the electric force field that was unleashed on them. Phantom Ganon chuckled at seeing the angry expressions on the faces of the hero and the princess.  
"Why so angry?" He taunted.  
"You've done enough!" Link snarled.  
"Hyrule and Termina are not yours to control!" Zelda added.  
"On the contrary, Hyrule is already mine. And what I may lose here will be taken back." Phantom Ganon said, laughing.  
"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Link and Zelda defiantly shouted, their blades ready.  
"You two definitely have guts. I shall remember that when I end your pitiful lives and hand over your powers to my creator. He'll be very pleased to obtain those pieces of the Triforce that you have. Time to end this!" Phantom Ganon said, before rearing back and tossing his staff to the two.  
Link and Zelda avoided the staff impaling them, but were too late to get out of the way in time; the staff landed between the two, with the outward spikes trapping the arms that held their respective swords against the wall, causing the two to grunt as they hit the wall, in effect making them drop their swords as Phantom Ganon approached them. Both Link and Zelda sent a glare of absolute death to the approaching fiend, subconsciously holding each other's hand as if giving each other some form of support for each other. Phantom Ganon merely chuckled.  
"You two must have heard those cheesy children's stories during your upbringing, right? Those old stories of bad guy kidnapping or cursing princess, hero beats bad guy and rescues princess, princess kisses hero and they all live happy ever after, right? Well, THIS story will have the hero and the princess together… but this time in death!" Phantom Ganon said, grabbing his staff to make the bladed parts press tightly against the trapped arms, cutting a bit into them before letting loose another discharge of electricity on the two.  
Zelda screamed in agony as the electricity ran over her body, but Link was merely grunting, gritting his teeth. He was in the same pain as Zelda was, but it didn't stop him from trying to resist it, summoning all the power he could muster as he gave yet another glare of death at Phantom Ganon, who paid no attention to it. Link used this however as he loosened the grip on his shield which was at his right arm, letting the shocks and shaking to make it loosen from the arm… right before Link grabbed the last handle of his shield and swung his shield to his left, clobbering Phantom Ganon in the face, stunning him which in turn ceased the attack of his on the two. Dropping his Red Shield for the moment afterwards, Link then grabbed the staff and began to pull it out of the wall, which was aided soon by a recovering Zelda, freeing their trapped arms which had now a fresh, bleeding cut, Fortunately the cut wasn't really deep, which in turn allowed to pick up their swords after tossing the staff aside, before both charged at Phantom Ganon and slashed across his chest together, as if dividing it in columns, before smashing their elbows in his face to make him fly to the far side of the room once again, giving the two some breathing room to pick up their shields, using the opportunity to aid the others by stunning the Phantom Ganon Clones by firing Light Arrows at them, giving their wounded friends the opportunity to finish the Clones off, regaining the focus on the Real Phantom Ganon.

Phantom Ganon himself got up and, being now furious after seeing his clones being defeated, he grabbed his staff and began to charge up a larger electric sphere, intending to electrocute everyone of the group to death. Link and Zelda however were having none of it and, seeing the sphere grow in size, they both launched another Light Arrow at the fiend, striking him and making him lose control of the sphere, making it hit him instead, giving the group a good view of Phantom Ganon's skeleton as he was zapped by his own attack. The group winced as the attack in particular was agonizing, hearing Phantom Ganon's distorted screams as he was being electrocuted for several seconds, before he laid still on the ground, his body still twitching due to the electric currents still zapping him.  
"Is it over?" Nabooru asked as the group gathered once more, each of them showing injuries, one more than the other, but still alive.  
"I hope so…" Link said, although he still had his Gilded Master Sword ready.  
"You lot keep surprising me," Ganondorf's voice said, "it's as if you have become better… at a quicker rate than I expected at that."  
The group remained silent, although Link and Zelda held onto Saria for support, with Saria using a lighter spell of hers to heal them.  
"This is really something that I cannot ignore any longer, I guess I've gotten somewhat careless by underestimating your skill, a mistake that I do not intend on making again. The fact that I managed to kill some of you must have gotten to my head, although I did suspect that you would find a way to return to life. You managed to defeat my Phantom again and it is clear that you may succeed in cleansing the Stone Tower Temple… but don't think for a moment that your labors are completed! If you are really bent on ending all of this, then come to the new tower in which Majora and I reside… then we will see what the fate of Hyrule and Termina will eventually lead to." Ganondorf said.  
"Your tower, huh?" Link asked, narrowing his eyes as the Phantom vanished into nothingness.  
"Yes. I'll be generous this time and let the Princess stay with you lot," Ganondorf said, making Zelda blink, "considering that you care so much about her, she will simply share your eventual fate. Either way, our new lair awaits you. Come and get us, if you dare…" Ganondorf said, before his voice died off, the area becoming lighter again and the doors unlocking.  
Finally the group could relax at this point, leaning on each other or their weapons, to rest up a bit and have their wounds checked, with Link and Zelda finally able to nurse their bleeding arms due to the staff having cut them there.  
"Let's get out of here and finish the job, so we can prepare ourselves for our trip to Hyrule." Link said after a minute or two.  
"Right. The sooner we have disabled this place as a stronghold, the better." Zelda said, as the group made their leave, moving back into the corridor with the Blue Bubbles, using the already opened crates to restock on Magic Power as well as arrows, while killing the Blue Bubbles along the way, ending back up in the Sky Room where they used the bridges to cross the area, heading for the other door they didn't access yet.

Once in the new room, they found themselves in the entrance of the Temple, bit this time at a lone platform at the opposite corner. Using his Light Arrow, Link flipped over a single Death Armos, before moving to it to taunt it into attacking him, making it crash into the ground while he used his shield to defend himself from the subsequent detonation. Then, he used his Hookshot to lock on a chest that was standing upside down above an upper platform in the middle of the room, hooking to it which took him to that platform, waiting for the others while moving on ahead to make space. Zelda and Saria both soon joined him, followed by Ruto.  
"These things definitely have come in handy…" Saria said, observing her Hookshot.  
"Indeed, huh?" Link said with a smile as Nabooru came towards them, having one of the Pirates with her.  
The other Sages each took one of the Pirates as a passenger along, before they moved on in the next room, which was another bridge room that contained yet another Eyegore, but this time the door at the far side also had TWO Iron Knuckles guarding it. This time, Link took out the Eyegore using a charged Arrow shot, before the group focused on the two Iron Knuckles, letting them move forward one at a time so the group had the proper focus to take them out, using projectile attacks to take them out safely. Once that was done, the group moved on towards the room with the Spiked Roller, this time the room was more empty and had cracks and holes as well as burn marks in the wall, obviously from the detonation of some of the weapon supplies there. Using the Hookshots to move to the path on the higher area, they avoided the Beamos while moving on to the large door, entering it.

The group now found themselves in the same room as where they had fought the Darkhammer and its minions before, but now the room was flipped, with the hole in the center of the room now containing a sandpit. Having no other choice, the group hopped down into the sand pit and entered a vast desert area, where Link had once fought Twinmold with the aid of the Giant's Mask. Fortunately Twinmold wasn't present, but what they did see several Corrupt Soldiers around, as if they were here for a reason… it appeared they were guarding a device or something.  
"What is this place?!" Link asked.  
"It appears to be a sophisticated generator, but for what?" Zelda asked.  
"I don't know for sure, but if those soldiers are around, it must be of importance to them as well as our nemeses." Impa said.  
"Uh oh, they've clocked us!" Ruto said, seeing as several Assault Sword Soldiers indeed spotted the group and went on ahead to charge at the group.  
"Time for a combined assault; some of us concentrate on taking down that device, the others will keep these soldiers off their backs!" Link said.  
"Right." Impa said.  
"And now is a good time to test these out…" Link said, setting up a Bomb Arrow to use as he took aim at a part of the device, firing it while Darunia, Zelda and Saria covered him.  
The Bomb Arrow hit its mark, exploding upon impact and damaging the device. This did alert the other Soldiers, which in turn ignited the battle ahead.

The four Gerudo Pirates provided assistance by keeping several Assault Sword Soldiers at bay as the group fought, allowing Link, Saria and Zelda to take out other targets from a great distance using their arrows. The 'Burst' ability that the Ancient Fire Sage gave them proved very helpful as not only it allowed to take out a target with a single strike, it also allowed taking out multiple targets within the arrow's path, giving them some breathing room before using Bomb Arrows to take out Bow Soldiers and Assault Spear Soldiers, before firing at the device to damage it from a distance. This proved to be quite helpful as the machine was now taking damage enough for parts of it to come off and fall down to the ground, as if the outer part was a form of armor for the machine's core, that held a sphere inside in place, as if it was placed there with magic. Darunia, Rauru, Impa and Nabooru aided the Gerudo Pirates with fending off the Sword Soldiers, while Ruto used her Boomerangs to stun any of them that came too close for comfort, giving Link, Saria and Zelda the time needed to pelt the device with Bomb Arrows, which began to gradually take more damage as multiple explosions were seen during impacts of each Bomb Arrow, with the core itself beginning to take damage. The assault kept going until Link, Saria and Zelda simultaneously fired a Bomb Arrow directly at the core, striking it perfectly which in turn caused the core to take critical damage, beginning to shut down and get showered in explosions, which began to destroy the machine, causing the remaining Corrupted Soldiers to watch in horror as their machine was destroyed. In anger, the remaining Soldiers tried to attack the group, but were struck down without much trouble. Once the battle was over, the group would notice a portal appearing that would take them back to Ikana Canyon, this time back in the normal, non-flipped/inverted state.

Once back in Ikana Canyon, the group breathed a sigh of relief as they saw the dark clouds around the Stone Tower dissipating, indicating they had destroyed the root of evil there so far…  
"That's one trouble less." Link said, taking off his cap for a moment to scratch his head there before wiping some sweat away.  
"I'll say." Saria said.  
Nabooru then turned to the four Pirates that were still present, seeing they had a look of sadness and/or resignation on their faces, making the Gerudo leader sigh.  
"We're sorry for the loss of your comrades…" She said.  
"Thank you." The first Pirate said.  
"Do you have an idea of where to go next?" Link then asked.  
"No… we would have gone back to our Fortress in Great Bay, but it's still heavily guarded by comrades whom either willingly or forcibly serve Ganondorf and his cronies, so with our state of being now, we can't go there."  
"What about we'll let you meet up with a similar band of Gerudo that is also wandering around? Maybe Reimu or Leia can be of assistance to you." Nabooru said.  
"You really want to do that for us?" The second pirate asked.  
"Sure; it's on our route anyway." Zelda said with a smile.  
"Thank you." The Gerudo said, smiling.  
"Then let's go. I have no intention to stay here any longer." Ruto said.  
"You took the words right out of my mouth." Link said as he moved on towards Ikana River.


	40. Chapter 40: A Dark Theft

_Chapter 40: A Dark Theft_

After climbing out of the Ikana River and using the ladder to reach the mainland of Ikana Valley.  
"Hopefully we can leave this land of the dead behind us forever…" Link said.  
"We all hope that, Link. After all, we have no business in such a land with a blood-stained history." Zelda said.  
"Indeed." Link said, sighing.  
"You seem quite upset." One of the Pirates said.  
"Well, to be fair, I've had my share of traumatic experiences during my first visit here. The only thing I'm happy about now is that we didn't have to go through the Ikana Well this time." Link replied.  
"Ikana has a well too?" Impa asked.  
"Yes. The only time I had to go in there was to find a way into Ikana Castle and had my own share of horrors there. Doors being guarded by Gibdos, spike rollers left, right up and down, respawning Wallmasters, rooms being blocked by spider webs… it makes the atmosphere of the Kakariko Well much more pleasant in comparison." Link said.  
Zelda shuddered at this, as did Saria.  
"At least we're now much better equipped than when Majora sent five of us, including myself, here into that Skulltula-infested cavern…" Ruto said.  
"You got that right, Ruto. All I hope now is that there won't be any webs blocking our path any time soon. They can be handy as catching nets or to treat injuries, but the itch of those threads on the bare skin is intolerably annoying." Link said.  
"I second that." Saria said.  
"I third that." Zelda said.  
"You got stuck in a web?" The second pirate asked.  
"Yeah, Majora decided to give us a trip of a life time by sending us into that cavern not too long ago, which caused us to end up landing directly into a giant web that was big and strong enough to simply hold the five of us while we were out cold." Link said.  
"Yikes, that sounds nasty."  
"It was. Then again, Majora's practically a lunatic who doesn't care what the consequences of his actions are." Link said.  
"You got that right." Zelda said.

Just as Nabooru wanted to talk, Link was hit by an arrow in his arm, causing him to yelp in pain, right before a second one struck his leg, causing him to fall down on the ground.  
"Link?!" Saria asked, just as another arrow flew by, shortly followed by a scream of Zelda as she was hit by it in the back.  
"What the-?!" Impa asked.  
"OVER THERE!" The Third Pirate said, clocking the culprit just as another arrow flew by, striking Saria into her stomach.  
Nabooru turned into the direction her fellow Gerudo said, seeing the person. It was a bald person with a white sweater and blue pants on, brandishing a bow and arrow. Immediately she recognized him.  
"SAKON! YOU BLOODY IDIOT, NOW I'M REALLY PISSED!" Nabooru snarled as she suddenly charged at him, her blades drawn as the thief made a run for it to his hideout.  
"Sakon?!" Impa asked.  
"He's a thief that stole a few items of ours and also knocked out Link and Zelda some time ago when he created a diversion using a bomb that scared Epona, causing her to throw Link and Zelda off of her…" Ruto said.  
Narrowing her eyes, Impa let her Shadow Medallion glow as she was now getting royally pissed herself…

Sakon ran to his hideout again, his bow in hand.  
"GET BACK HERE SO I CAN CUT YOUR HEAD OFF, YOU VILE, PRANCING MAROON!" Nabooru roared as she was gaining ground on him, having launched several Sword Sparks at him while he was running like crazy to avoid her strikes.  
Sakon managed to enter his hideout in time, locking the door so Nabooru couldn't get in, leading her to strike the boulder-shaped door with her blades.  
"OPEN UP, YOU DIRTY COWARD! SHOW YOUR FACE SO I CAN CUT YOU UP!" Nabooru snarled from behind the door.  
"Try as you might, but you won't break the door," Sakon taunted, "those arrows I used have been tipped with a venom that will soon paralyze your little friends… that will teach them to stay out of my business…" Sakon said, taunting Nabooru, which caused the Gerudo woman to growl in anger more.  
"Poison Arrows, you said?!" She asked, growling.  
"Yep. And only I have the antidote, which you're never gonna get. Those three will learn what kind of price there is to messing with the great Sakon." Sakon replied, taunting her.  
"Oh yeah?" A stern, female voice then said from behind him.  
Sakon blinked at this, before turning around, coming face to face with a VERY pissed off Impa…  
"What the-?! How did you get in here?!" Sakon asked, bewildered.  
"That's not of your concern. What IS of your concern is the amount of your bones that will remain intact once I'm through with you if you don't tell me right now where the antidote is." Impa said, making the motions of rolling up her sleeves which showed she was ready to inflict serious pain.  
"And why should I tell you that, woman? Those kids shouldn't have meddled in my affairs!" Sakon defiantly said.  
This made Impa smirk.  
"I was hoping you'd say that." She said, approaching him…

Nabooru, having placed an ear against the boulder-door, suddenly startled as she heard some crashing, punching and kicking from behind the door, coupled with painful grunts and outcries of a male and the cool, collected, charging strikes from a female, which made Nabooru realize that Impa was laying the brutal smackdown on the prancing thief known as Sakon, which she knew he deserved it. It was then that one of the Pirates hurried to her. Nabooru looked up to see her.  
"What's going on?" She asked.  
"It's the three children… they're barely moving…" The Gerudo said.  
"Then the poison must be taking effect!" Nabooru said.  
"Poison?!"  
"Yeah, Sakon used Poison Arrows in an attempt to paralyze Link, Zelda and Saria. Impa's gone after him to get the antidote and Impa sure doesn't mess around." Nabooru said.  
"I hope it's quick…" The Gerudo said in worry.  
"I hope so too." Nabooru said.

Soon enough, Impa returned with a small bottle in her hands.  
"I've got it, now let's go." Impa said, rushing back to where the others were, with Nabooru and the Gerudo in tow.  
Upon reaching the group, they could see that Princess Ruto was practically in hysterics, with Darunia looking worried as Link, Saria and Zelda laid rather limply on the ground, still alive, but unable to move a muscle!  
"This would better work…" Nabooru said.  
"It will; I told Sakon that if it doesn't, I'll come back for him and take the others with me to end him." Impa replied as she rushed over to Zelda, who could barely move her head, but the three children did acknowledge her presence; their eyes were the only things they could still freely move…  
Kneeling down, Impa put the tip of the bottle against Zelda's lips after opening it and made her drink her part of it, using gentle massages to make her swallow it and prevent her choking on it. She repeated the same maneuver with Link and Saria respectively, before the bottle was empty.  
"It may take some time for it to take effect, so we can rest up here to be sure it works." Impa said.  
"Great idea. It'll also let us keep an eye on Sakon…" Nabooru said.  
"Where is Sakon anyway?!" Ruto asked.  
"I simply messed him up and he now lies in a crumpled heap somewhere in his hideout." Impa calmly said.  
"Oh wow!" Ruto said.  
"And I told him I would take you to him to make things worse for him if this antidote doesn't work. By all accounts, regardless of what he thinks of himself, he's actually quite a coward that knows when to value his own life, no matter how pathetic it is." Impa said, making Ruto chuckle lightly.  
Then they could hear the three moaning. Looking at them, they could see that they tried to move, but were unable to do so; to them it was as if everything had gotten stiff except for their eyes. Even their speech was currently impaired for the moment.  
"Should we take them to the Great Fairy in Clock Town though? Maybe she can help in fixing them completely?" Rauru suggested.  
"We will visit her soon, I first want to make sure that the antidote is working good enough for them to stay alive long enough in order for us to reach her in the first place." Impa said, now noticing that the wounds have been bandaged and the arrows that inflicted the pain having been pulled out and cast aside.  
The Gerudo Pirates adjusted the children to a more comfortable lying position to prevent them from swallowing their tongues and choking to death because of it. Zelda on her turn managed to look at Impa, who was gently caressing her face. Zelda's only response was a single tear rolling down her face. Link and Saria were facing each other, the both of them also silently crying as they were unable to do anything at the time. Nabooru gently stroked their faces to comfort them, knowing that everything will be alright.  
"We should get going. We can use the horses to help in carrying them. The area remains uncomfortable to me…" Darunia said.  
"Right. We'll head to Clock Town then." Impa said, leaving a shadow clone behind, just to be sure.  
While Impa picked up Zelda to carry her, Darunia picked up Saria while Nabooru picked up Link. It broke Nabooru's heart to see the once energetic, heroic young man being so ruthlessly deprived of any form of movement for the time being… using her own spiritual powers, she made a quick check on the three before they went on their way.  
"Let's take it easy; the antidote is currently in the process of neutralizing the poison within their veins." She said.  
"Right. Let's hope the Goddesses can aid us…" Impa said, nodding.

Sakon in the meantime was scared, upset, terrified, angry… he was basically in a turmoil. He succeeded in striking those meddlesome children with his self-created Poison Arrows, but he underestimated the immediate response of what he presumed to be guardians of those children, with him being chased all the way into his hideout and being beaten into a severe mess, to the point of being FORCED to give the antidote to her. So his revenge would end up being short-lived after all. He growled in frustration as he wanted things to be WORSE for them. Sighing, he tried to get up and move to his quarters.  
"Where are YOU going?!" A dark, female voice then called out to him.  
"Huh?! Who's there?!" Sakon asked, turning around.  
Due to the darkness in his hideout, as well as his vision still being somewhat hazy from the beating he took from Impa, he was unable to see the person with him clearly, as if shadows were talking to him.  
"A simple-minded, yet cunning thief… quite resourceful from what we've seen…" A dark, male voice said.  
"However your transgressions have gone too far…" A second dark, female voice said.  
"What do you mean? All I wanted was to teach those kids a lesson for meddling in my affairs, they should know better!" Sakon protested.  
"So, you resort to such a vile action… Those three you targeted are not yours to take care of!" The dark, male voice said.  
"Oh, what are they to you then? Friends of yours?" Sakon scoffed.  
"Not exactly friends, but more like people whom we have our own score to settle with. Having done what you did was absolutely rude!" The first dark female said.  
"Oh cry me a river. You're lucky that they've been given an antidote."  
"Oh, yes. But you did it reluctantly, seeing your expression tells us all." A third dark female voice said.  
"Like you can do anything against it now. They're not with you right now, so what's the point of coming here?"  
"You're right about them not being with us at the moment. We will meet them soon enough however." The second dark female said.  
"As for why we're here, you shouldn't worry about that. In fact, you won't have to worry about anything anymore." The first dark female said.  
Suddenly, what appeared to be dark vines shot from the walls and shot around the prancing thief, wrapping him up tightly in what appeared to be a cocoon-like fashion. Sakon tried to fight, but his weakened body was unable to resist against it as he was soon encased inside the vines. A dark hand of a pre-teen girl then appeared in the light, as if controlling the vines, leaning in a relaxed state, before it moved upright and went in a clenching motion, as if creating a fist slowly. Sakon's shouts of protest turned into screams of pain as the vines began to press tighter against him, putting pressure onto his body which grew and grew more intense with each second, before a loud *CRUNCH* ceased the outcries in an instant, with a dark liquid oozing from between the vines… when it dripped on the ground in the light, it was apparent that this liquid was a crimson red in color. A few seconds later, the vines vanished, causing Sakon to fall to the ground, his arms and legs bent and twisted in different angles, his mouth open in a silent, agonizing scream, his eyes empty and his face and body showing similar contortions as if the bones in there have been completely snapped, the crimson-red liquid soiling his outfit. He didn't move a single muscle after his landing… nor did he even breathe. Sakon was dead. Stepping into the light, holding the hand into a relaxed state now, was none other than Dark Saria, accompanied by Dark Link, Dark Zelda… and another dark female with the same dark gray to black color palette all over, save for the crimson to blood-red eyes, whom was more of an adult. She also had the different jewelry on her that was befitting of a Gerudo. This was Dark Nabooru, a nigh-perfect clone of the leader of the Gerudo Tribe, but this one was, like the other dark clones, loyal to the forces of Evil. Walking over to Sakon's corpse, she extended a hand to it, lifting something that looked like a sphere from it, guiding it in the air. Letting it float still, she then raised her other hand in the air, before bringing her hand down to her face while also clenching it into a fist. In an instant response, the sphere burst apart with a *SPLAT*, causing Sakon's body to give one final jerk before it laid still forever, after which the four Dark figures vanished from the hideout in a plume of black smoke, letting Sakon's corpse decay within his own hideout, never to be discovered… except for one person who hid in the shadows… appalled at what she just witnessed…

Safely moving down the cliff from Ikana Valley after dealing with the resident Nejirons, the remaining Sages joined up with the horses that were still waiting for them close to the pathway that led to the Ikana Graveyard. Epona was still standing still, although she was worried about her master. She neighed when she saw the group approaching, galloping towards Nabooru who held Link, butting its head against the young Hyrulean warrior. Link merely grunted weakly, which worried Epona.  
"We'll fix 'em up for you, girl." Nabooru said to Epona, laying Link on one of the large horses along with Saria and Zelda, with two Pirates aiding them to ensure they wouldn't fall from it as they made their way towards East Termina Field.  
With Princess Ruto already eliminating the Real Bombchus and Blue Bubbles up ahead, the group took their time while the remaining Gerudo Pirates, as well as Darunia, were watching the group's back, ready to intercept enemies coming from behind if necessary.  
"So many things have happened the last few days…" Nabooru said in a lamenting tone.  
"I know… it's not easy to actually cope with such affairs in such a short span of time… and yet the fate of Hyrule and Termina both lies on the shoulders of Link and the Sages, including you and me." Impa said.  
"We definitely can use some time off once this is all over. Otherwise it would drive us completely nuts."  
"I agree. Perhaps we can make plans once the fight is actually over, but until then…" Impa said, sighing.  
Nabooru nodded as the group continued on their way.

As the group arrived in Termina Field, they saw that there was a carriage up ahead at East Clock Town, seeing two people inside, who also didn't look well… it were Romani and Cremia! Although the two ranch girls looked fine in regards to having no injuries whatsoever, they did look quite exhausted, as if they had just managed to make a daring escape or went through another chase scenario, the latter being apparently more plausible as the milk bottles they had with them were damaged, but not broken. Seeing the group coming, the two recognized Princess Ruto and Nabooru, waving at them as the group approached them, before blinking at seeing Link, Saria and Zelda lying limp on one of the horses. Nabooru was constantly checking on them and was relieved to find out that at least their breathing had become stable; the poison was neutralized in time before it could affect the lungs and the hearts…  
"Oh my, what happened to them?!" Cremia asked.  
"That thief named Sakon nailed them with Poison Arrows. We managed to give them antidote in time though…" Nabooru said.  
At the same time, Impa's Shadow Clone dispersed, giving Impa her knowledge, which made her eyes widen in shock for a moment.  
"Well, it looks like Sakon won't be much of a bother to us anymore." She said.  
"What do you mean?" Ruto asked.  
"Sakon's been killed."  
"What?! How do you know?!" Nabooru asked.  
"I left a Shadow Clone behind to keep an eye out on the thief so we can be informed ahead in case he tries anything funny. However something happened which I didn't expect; dark, evil voices addressed the thief before he was wrapped into what appeared to be vines and then crushed to death and after that something was removed from him and destroyed… I assume that was his spirit… since I saw who did it." Impa said.  
"Who?"  
"I've seen the Dark clones of Link and Zelda in the room, this time accompanied by two more Dark clones, one of Saria, the Forest Sage… and one of you, Nabooru." Impa said.  
This information shocked Nabooru to the core, making her go in a state of briefly experiencing a Heroic Blue Screen of Death, staggering backwards before falling on her rear on the ground.  
"This… this can't be happening…" Nabooru said, clearly upset.  
"Then I wouldn't be surprised if they would make something similar with me…" Ruto said, annoyed.  
"I'm afraid so… " Impa said.  
"But why would they kill Sakon?" One of the Pirates asked.  
"I don't know. Sakon is however not in league with Ganondorf and/or Majora, making him more of a lone wolf thief whom operates on either his own accord or when he can get some profit off of it; Link told us about him before." Ruto said.  
"I remember now; he said that Sakon was once seen in the Curiosity Shop to sell the goods he stole to the shop owner, in the case where Link witnessed it, the offering was a set of Big Bomb Bags that Sakon stole from an old lady…" Nabooru said.  
"How rude!" The First Gerudo Pirate said.  
"And now the thief's dead?" The Second Pirate asked.  
"Yep and as far as I know, he won't ever come back." Impa said.  
"Then we have something to watch out for." Nabooru said.  
"The only advantage that Link and Zelda had was that the clones were made from the time where they hadn't learned those moves from the Swordsman's School yet, so the same will count for those of Saria, Ruto and Nabooru. But this doesn't make them any less dangerous; Dark Saria can summon vines with the intention to constrict and crush a victim, much like a snake and she could be more affiliated with killing people, as the Saria herself is practically the embodiment of life due to her being the Forest Sage..." Impa said.  
"Gosh, I bet Saria won't like that..." Ruto said, shocked as the group carried on to North Clock Town, with Romani and Cremia following them.  
"So, what happened to you?" Nabooru then asked the two Romani Ranch sisters.  
"Nothing really major, just the Gorman Brothers being a pain in the butt again, now that I've realized who's behind all of the assaults in trying to put me out of business..." Cremia said, clearly annoyed at them.  
"Have you considered taking steps against them?" Impa asked.  
"I have, but they claimed innocence and seemed insulted at that. It's simply them playing it so they pass off to the others as normal people and giving me a bad name." Cremia said.  
"At least Grasshopper believes my sister." Romani said.  
"Grasshopper?" Impa asked.  
"That's Romani's affectionate nickname for Link." Ruto said, causing Impa to chuckle.  
"At least we managed to make the delivery in time..." Cremia said.  
"Hmmm, perhaps you can work together with Malon and Talon in Hyrule's ranch?" Impa then offered.  
"Yeah, that way you will be able to reach out your Chateau Romani to more public as well..." Nabooru said.  
"Are you sure?" Cremia asked.  
"I'm sure Talon would understand. Perhaps it could retain you a place to work on in case it does come to the worst and you won't be bothered by those Gorman Brothers..." Impa said.  
"Hmmm, this does deserve some thought. Who knows what it can bring for us; perhaps we can actually get a more sustainable income to at least take care of the basic needs of us and our animals without having to look out for potential saboteurs..." Cremia said.  
"Exactly." Nabooru said.  
"I'll be definitely thinking about it. It may take some time though, since this is the first time that I've been given such an offer, but nonetheless consider it a point of interest." Cremia said.  
"Alright. We're off to North Clock Town to get our friends healed up again and then we're off to Hyrule to finally put an end to this whole situation." Impa said.  
"Alright. Perhaps I can make an arrangement for you to get a special discount of Chateau Romani for being genuinely trying to help me." Cremia said as she went off the cart to help load the jars of milk inside the milk town.  
"Thank you." Nabooru said, nodding as she went on her way with the others again.  
Romani went to help her sister to bring the jars into Clock Town, looking around the area while having her bow and arrow ready as if she was like a security guard for her.

As the group approached North Clock Town, they could hear the three children grunting and/or moaning, indicating that they were trying to talk, but the remnants of the poison still kept their bodies docile and paralyzed, although they could at least look around a little more.  
"Relax, please. We'll get you fixed as soon as we can. It won't be long now." Impa said, stroking Zelda's face, getting a little saddened when she felt a moist area on her cheek, which indicated that Zelda had been crying, yet she knew she was fighting to pull through.  
"It's getting a bit more drafty here..." One of the Pirates said.  
"The mountain region known as Snowhead is directly ahead. It's mountain tops are usually covered with snow, although the snow reaches all the way down North Termina Field when it's winter..." Ruto said, shivering a bit.  
"I see... wow, it's like traveling around the world for a bit." She said.  
"Yep, we've pretty much seen most of Hyrule and Termina in the span of time we've been traveling to help in saving the lands, even to areas that are not exactly known to public with the exception for ancient stories and everything." Nabooru said.  
"Oh? What places have you seen, my Lady?"  
"We've seen places that enemy forces occupied in areas between the Swamp and Ikana, within the vast forest between Hyrule and Termina and a dangerous, lava-filled country between Ikana and Snowhead. It's been quite hectic for us I tell you..." Nabooru said.  
"That I can see."  
"We were fortunate to have the horses which have save quite a lot of the normal traveling time. Otherwise we'd still be in either the Forest outpost or the lava one..."  
"I see what you mean." The Pirate said, nodding as the group entered North Clock Town, with Ruto and Nabooru leading the way to the resident Great Fairy's Fountain, the guard looking on in worry.  
Impa stroked Zelda's face again as the group climbed the pathway going up the entrance to the fountain, leaving the horse outside to carry the three children inside the fountain. Both Link and Saria looked as if they were asleep, but their faces and all said otherwise, hoping they would soon recover from this ordeal…


	41. Chapter 41: A clucking problem

_Chapter 41: A clucking problem_

The group arrived in front of the Great Fairy's Fountain, where the Great Fairy of Magic appeared before them. Seeing the three children and learning of what happened, the Great Fairy wasted little time and used her healing powers to restore Link, Saria and Zelda back to normal, although it took a few minutes as the final traces of the poison had to be eliminated first. But it was a success. The entire group breathed a sigh of relief when Link, Saria and Zelda got up again and flexed up a bit to show that they were indeed back to normal.  
"Whew…" Link said.  
"You can say that again." Saria said.  
"What happened?" Zelda asked.  
"Well, I confronted Sakon the thief and managed to get the antidote from him which we applied to you before we went to here. Later on I learned from a shadow clone that Sakon didn't live long after that though; he was killed." Impa said.  
"What? How?" Link asked.  
"My shadow clone observed the appearance of the dark selves of you and Zelda, this time accompanied by a dark version of Saria and Nabooru, the latter two being responsible for the murder." Impa replied.  
"Say what?! Are you saying that there is a dark version of me?!" Saria asked.  
"Yes. Apparently Ganondorf used the same procedure that was used in the creation of Dark Link and Dark Zelda, by applying magic on blood that was collected." Impa said.  
"But from where would they get the blood?!" Saria asked.  
"I can only think of one place…" Link said, his expression stern and serious.  
"And where would that be?" Ruto asked.  
"It would be on the abandoned tower of the ruined Hyrule Castle, were the five of us met our untimely demise first." Link said.  
Zelda, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru blinked at this, remembering what had happened there all too well as shock set in.  
"But… why?!" Zelda asked.  
"Perhaps they anticipated our resurrection later on and did this as either a new act to hinder our progress or perhaps even try to set up things that could give us a bad name, I don't know for sure." Link said.  
"Hmmm, those can be good reasoning… but this does leave the question if they will do the same with Impa, Darunia and Rauru too…" Zelda said.  
"Just be careful when you're on your way out…" The Great Fairy said.  
"What for?" Impa asked.  
"There's Corrupted Soldiers patrolling around in Clock Town, keeping a tight rein on the citizens while letting them continue about their daily business…" She said.  
"We'll take care of them first, we owe them at least that much." Link said, nodding.  
"Right, I wish you good luck. Don't let any of the civilians get caught in the crossfire." The Great Fairy said, before the group made their departure.  
"We will be cautious, thanks." Link said with a smile towards her before they left.

Upon re-entering North Clock Town, the group could already see a group of soldiers entering East Clock Town, deciding to follow them. Link was cautious, as if waiting to see where they would go or if they would even notice them in the first place.  
"Let's remain cautious, you never know what can happen in town..." Link said.  
"Right. It's only for the best that we watch each other's backs." Zelda said as the group went towards East Clock Town, following Link as he knew where to go in town.  
"The whole town looks bigger than Hyrule Castle Town, I've never seen any other district other than East and perhaps south before, or I just didn't have the time to properly look around." Impa commented as they arrived there.  
"Indeed, although it's easy to find your way around eventually due to the broad paths and all..." Saria said.  
"I've spotted the soldiers... they seem to watch Cremia and Romani..." Ruto said, just as the soldiers saw the group.  
"They've clocked us!" Rauru said as the Sword Soldiers immediately went to charge at them, the Bow Soldiers standing by and one Assault Spear Soldier went in a different direction...

Cremia and Romani managed to find a safe haven close at the bar, while the other townspeople also came to see as the group from Hyrule engaged the Sword Soldiers. Some of the guards as well as the four Gerudo Pirates who traveled with them offered assistance as a massive swordfight broke out, although two of the Gerudo Pirates preferred the use of their glaives, while the Guards had their lances to charge at the Sword soldiers at the same time. The Bombers also stood by to assist, having taken refuge to the Veranda of the Stock Pot Inn to pelt the soldiers with rocks.  
"These freaks must have been keeping this town occupied for a while now, considering how numerous they are..." Link said, parrying one Sword Soldier's strike before using a Great Spin to knock him away.  
"I agree, I wouldn't be surprised if they would call for reinforcements from other parts of town..." Zelda said.  
"You're right, Zelda; I'm seeing more enemy Soldiers coming in." Saria said.  
"Watch our backs in case more come in!" Ruto said, with Darunia looking behind them after using one Sword Soldier as a bowling ball to knock several others aside.  
Link and Zelda used their Light Arrows to take out the Bow Soldiers, the Light Arrows killing them instantly.  
"We have Soldiers coming from behind!" Darunia said, with Impa and Rauru and two of the Pirates ready to assist him as the fight came from two sides now.  
One of the new soldiers that came in the area was a Bomb Soldier, whom tossed a lit Bomb towards the group. Link, Saria and Zelda rolled out of the way as the Bomb bounced off the wall and rolled down the stairway as the group continued their attack. However, just as the Bomb exploded, there was a loud crowing sound that came from the center area of East Clock Town.  
"What the-?! Where did that come from?!" Link asked as the fighting stopped all of a sudden.  
"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good." Zelda said.  
"It's coming from the far side of town... wait... is that a Cucco out there?" Saria said, just as the Cucco crowed loudly again and the group saw it... at the explosion site.  
Merely seconds after the Cucco had crowed, an entire flock of other Cuccos flew into town towards their comrade, while Link and the others looked at the flock as they came in rather rapidly...  
"What's going on?!" Zelda asked.  
Just then the clucking and crowing of the Cuccos increased and began to flock around first, tending to their injured comrade while more came in, flying around a bit… before they turned around.  
"What the-?! Are they coming towards us?!" Rauru asked.  
"They sound quite aggressive…" Impa said.  
Just then, they heard some of the Soldiers yelp as they were knocked down by one of the Cuccos as they came closer, three of them knocking Link, Saria and Zelda over.  
"What are they doing?" Impa asked, helping Zelda up just as Ruto was knocked over.  
"They must be looking for the one who harmed their comrade…" Link said, getting up.  
"But what for?" Zelda asked as Link helped Saria up, right before he was knocked over again by another Cucco, taking Saria with him as she landed on top of him.  
"OUCH! WATCH IT!" One of the Gerudo Pirates said as one of the Cuccos hit her, just as the Bomb Soldier was knocked over… dropping a lit Bomb in the process which rolled down to the stairs and blew up, catching a few of the Cuccos in the blast radius in the process.

Instantly the Cuccos turned to the Bomb Soldier and began to swarm towards him, now in full rampage mode as their crowing and clucking increased. The flock of Cuccos swarmed at the Bomb Soldier, who did his best in fighting them off, going so far as to knock several Cuccos around, one of them into Link and Zelda, who frantically tried to fend the aggressive animal off as it took off back towards the Bomb Soldier. Another one was sent into Saria, who had to shield her face to prevent her eyes from being picked out, yelping as the Cucco was now going postal as it charged back at the Bomb Soldier in turn.  
"RUN! THE CUCCOS HAVE GONE MAD!" A villager screamed as the Cuccos were now on a full rampage, pecking at anyone trying to stop them or otherwise knocking them over.  
Without hesitation, the remaining villagers did their best to high-tail it out of the area and find shelter within the buildings or otherwise go into other parts or even out of town, Link and the Sages among them. The remaining enemy Soldiers were also knocked down while trying to help their comrade as he tried to fend the Cuccos off, grunting as the Cuccos apparently had trouble in getting through his armor, but beginning to make dents in it. One of the rampaging Cuccos flew against Nabooru, causing her to stumble and fall down the stairs that led to the main square of East Clock Town, accidently knocking Impa, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Rauru over along with her, while Darunia shielded his eyes and face to prevent the birds from flying into it. Romani rushed towards Link, trying to help him up, which in turn caused Cremia to go after Romani, trying to shield her from the onslaught of Cuccos, although the Cuccos seemed to be primarily concentrating on the Bomb Soldier, who was now beginning to lose parts of his armor, causing him to yelp and scream as the birds now began to peck at his legs and other exposed body parts, while trying to fend the Cuccos off with more bombs, although this only succeeded in making the birds even angrier, swarming the offending soldier more and continuing to knock him over, pecking at him and resuming their charge, eventually making the Bomb Soldier try to get away himself, but the constant onslaught of Cuccos made him stumble or trip over them continuously, making him fall which gave the Cuccos time to peck at him relentlessly. Darunia, Cremia and Romani helped the others up, just as they saw the Bomb Soldier stumbling towards the stairs they just fell from.  
"Oh no!" Link said as the group tried to get out of the way, just as the Bomb Soldier, with several mad Cuccos attached to it, fell down the stairs, shattering his armor, also badly injuring a few Cuccos with his landing as well as causing other birds as well as bits of his armor to be thrown off, some of them even hitting other civilians who peeked out of the doors or hid elsewhere in the open as well as the group of heroes, knocking most of them down due to the frantic state of the birds, causing some of them to have a few cuts here and there as well, just as the flock now completely swarmed the fallen Bomb Soldier, who was now screaming in pain as the flock pecked him all over, not giving him a chance to get up. This was made even more morbid as patches of blood became visible here and there on the ground as well as on the birds themselves.  
"Oh, dear Goddesses!" Zelda said.  
"We have to get out of here now, before they turn on us next!" Link said, getting up while the other villagers also fled into the buildings for real this time.  
The screams of the Bomb Soldier now turned into howls of agony as the flock of Cuccos just kept pecking on him, while the other Sword Soldiers were either fending off the birds themselves or fled elsewhere. While the Guard of East Clock Town helped in leading the Sages out of town, coupled with Romani and Cremia, the lightly injured Link and Zelda managed to see the movements of the Bomb Soldier being reduced to spasms before laying still, a pool of blood surrounding him, after which they simply turned tail and got out of town as fast as their legs could carry them out. Thankfully the Cuccos didn't come after them as they were too busy in pecking apart their primary target, but the horror remained, as it was clear the Cuccos did not take kindly to see one of their comrades injured…

Upon exiting the town, Link and Zelda found the Guard, the four Gerudo Pirates, Romani, Cremia, Impa, Nabooru, Rauru, Darunia, Ruto and Saria either standing or slumped against Cremia's wagon, panting. They were happy to see Link and Zelda having exited the town safely, with Navi, Tatl and Tael flying towards them as if acknowledging their safety.  
"Whew… take it from what we've witnessed… don't mess with the Cuccos." Link said, moving to Saria and plopping down next to her, with Zelda joining his other side right away.  
"I'll say…" Zelda said, panting.  
"What just happened? Why have they gotten so aggressive?" The East Clock Town Guard asked.  
"The Bomb Soldier tossed a Bomb towards us in an attempt to damage us with it. We evaded the Bomb, but a Cucco was caught within the blast radius of the bomb's detonation." Zelda said.  
"Note to self: Do NOT harm ANY Cucco wherever you find them, their comrades will come to its aid." Link said.  
"I agree on that." Saria said.  
"That is duly noted by us as well…" Cremia said, nodding as she comforted the shivering Romani.  
"So, where are you planning to go?" The Guard asked.  
"We have to get back to Hyrule in order to reach the new Ganon's Tower; our arch nemeses await us there." Link said.  
The East Clock Town Guard nodded.  
"It definitely is going to be a long trip," One of the Pirates said, nodding, "but I've heard rumors that a shortcut exists between the coast that leads to the mountain area where the tower is located and the forest connecting Hyrule with Termina. Back when we were under control of Ganondorf, I've heard some enemy forces making use of that particular shortcut to springboard their invasion of Termina before it was apparently abandoned as the task was completed. Perhaps you can now use it to reach the coast quicker than traveling straight on through the forest…"  
"Hmmm, that deserves some thought. How can we reach it?" Link asked.  
"To reach the entrance, you must first travel through the sewer area of the Clock Tower and move into the forest area there. If you are in possession of the eye that can see the truth, a hidden path towards that temple will be revealed." The Pirate said.  
Link nodded, getting up.  
"We should go around to the South Entrance of Clock Town, so we will avoid the rampaging Cuccos as much as we can. The entrance to that sewer area will be straight ahead for us, so we should be able to reach it safely." He said.  
"Wise idea." Zelda said.  
"Just one last thing; there will be some puzzles in that temple or even in that shortcut itself that have to be solved in order to progress. Also, be on the lookout for secrets. Who knows what useful items are in store for you there…" The Pirate said.  
"Thank you, where are you going? Weren't you planning to join Reimu and Leia in the forest?" Nabooru asked.  
"We will meet her soon, but first we will join miss Cremia to the ranch. Even though it was beyond our control due to us being possessed, we still have done things that we aren't proud of doing and wish to atone for it nonetheless." The first Pirate said.  
"I understand. At least you have the chance to fully repent. If you feel you have repaid your debts, come and see me in the Gerudo Fortress once the whole crisis is over and the evil beings defeated. I may assign you to a new job under command of Aveil, my personal sub-ordinate and second-in-command of the Fortress itself." Nabooru said.  
"Thank you, Lady Nabooru." The Pirates said, bowing politely before the group went their ways, the East Clock Town Guard moving with Link and the Sages to get back into Clock Town itself.

Making their way to the South Entrance, the group re-entered Clock Town from there where the East Clock Town Guard moved to stay with his colleague.  
"What's going on?" The South Guard said, confused as why people fled East Clock Town in such a panic.  
"A Bomb Soldier invoked the wrath of the resident Cuccos." The East Guard said.  
"Oh my!" The South Guard said, shocked.  
At the same moment, Link and the Sages made their way to the sewer area of Clock Town while avoiding the townspeople running around at the same time, moving all the way to the twisted corridor that led to the forest part. Once they were inside the forest, they slowed their pace to a walking speed, moving carefully along the way. As they entered the area with the abyss, they came across the Deku Butler who was kneeling in front of what appeared to be a twisted tree stump with a face. The Deku Butler looked up at seeing them, bowing to them.  
"Oh, I am sorry, I didn't know other people would travel along these Catacombs…" He said.  
"Catacombs?" Saria asked.  
"Yes. This area serves as a land bridge between Hyrule and Termina Proper, which can be accessed from the forest on the other side." The Butler said.  
"Ah, I see. How come you are here?" Impa asked.  
"This tree… this used to be my son, but he went missing after leaving home long ago… it wasn't until we received a visitor from Hyrule who resembled my son that I eventually learned of his fate…" The Butler solemnly said.  
Link nodded, seeing that the others were confused.  
"This was Majora's doing; he killed the young Deku Scrub here and sealed his spirit into a mask, which he then used to curse me with to turn me into a Deku Scrub." Link said.  
Immediately the Sages understood as Link told them the story about his adventures in Termina before, but now they learned the origin of the Deku Mask with this form of proof.  
"The worst thing about it was that Her Royal Highness, the Deku Princess, actually was in love with my son…" The Butler said.  
This brought tears in the eyes of Saria, Zelda and even Ruto, while the others mourned as well. Link was saddened too, even more as it brought memories back to him of Majora cursing him with it.  
"Ever since he returned to these lands, the state of Hyrule and Termina have gotten worse than before. But I swear, as the Hero of Time, that all the souls slaughtered and/or cursed by the hands of Ganondorf and Majora both will be avenged." Link said, with determination in his eyes.  
"This oath is also sworn by the Seven Sages to bring peace to those who seek it." Zelda said on behalf of herself and the Six Sages, who nodded.  
The Deku Butler was confused, but decided to nod in respect, making it evident that they obviously had a bone to pick with the murderer of his son.

After paying respect to the Butler and his deceased son, Link and the Seven Sages went on their way again, intending to make good on their oath and finding the temple that harbored the shortcut as the Gerudo Pirate had said. Even though there would be puzzles to solve, it would likely be something that could test their skills as true heroes in order to continue on their path towards justice and peace. Using the Lens of Truth, Impa located a hidden platform that was at the far side of the platform that contained a chest with Deku Nuts, with Saria using her own Sage Powers to guide the group to the platforms safely using tough vines in lieu of a bridge to walk over. Once arrived at the hidden platform, Impa led the way across the hidden path that she saw with the Lens of truth, using her Medallion to light the way under her feet to show the group where to go. Through this, the group walked in a line to prevent others from falling off, keeping some distance to allow them to watch each other's footsteps. Eventually the group came across a pathway that was visible, which consisted of grass, much like in the Kokiri Forest, but the area around them still being dark and the huge trees around them didn't help either, as if they were the cause of the darkness around.  
"Oh man, talk about going deep in the forest…" Ruto said.  
"It's best that we stay together now, otherwise we WILL become either Skull Children or Stalfos. The Great Deku Tree said that something like this will happen to those who get lost in the forest." Saria said.  
"Understood." Link said as the group looked on, looking around suspiciously while moving on, as if keeping an eye on their surroundings.

After what appeared to be a half an hour, the group finally came across what appeared to be a building up onto a hill. So far, no enemy forces were around at all, basically allowing the group to climb the hill and enter the building without having to worry about being attacked. Upon entering the building, they noticed that the tiles first had a cyan-colored tint to it, making it appear a bit brighter than the Water Temple, but this time there was no water around, nor was there any sand at the bottom. There was however a lower part of the floor that separated the entrance corridor from a larger room, where four Iron Knuckles were standing on the other side.  
"Oh dear, again these Iron Knuckles!" Zelda said.  
"Good thing we have new weapons to deal with them." Link said, grabbing his bow.  
"Targeting one by one again?" Saria asked.  
"It's for the best; that way we can take them out quicker instead of tackling them all at once." Link said, firing a Bomb Arrow at the first Iron Knuckle, damaging and waking it to make it walk towards the group.  
Link, Zelda and Saria just pelted it with Bomb Arrows until its outer Armor broke off, before two well-aimed Light Arrows ended it, making the Iron Knuckle disintegrate in sheets of blue flames. This procedure was repeated with the three other Iron Knuckles, until each of them was defeated, raising a platform that acted as a bridge to cross the lower floor to the other side, although four chests appeared at the lower area. The pathway where the group stood on also had a set of ladders that would allow them to climb back on the main path.  
"Well, that's that." Link said, hopping down to the lower floor with the others, letting them reach the chests that contained bundles of bombs and arrows to refill their supplies with.  
"Indeed. It's as if we've become stronger or more versatile lately." Zelda said.  
"That's possible, I figure that we might haaAAAAAAAAAHH-!"  
Link couldn't finish his sentence as, while leaning against the pillar to readjust his shoe, he fell through a hole in the pillar, falling down a shaft in the ceiling and falling down into a pool of water, which was small enough for a Goron to walk through unfazed, with a loud *SPLASH*.  
Immediately Zelda and Saria ran to the pillar, seeing that there was in fact an open passage that led to the hole inside the pillar. Seeing the other Sages coming, Saria and Zelda hopped down the platform and also landed in the pool, soon joined by the other Sages. As they eventually got the water out of their eyes to properly look around, they could see that the room they were in had several rupees around, mainly red and purple rupees, but also a single, Giant/Orange Rupee. Furthermore, there were fairies flying around all across the pool, which indicated that the group in fact discovered a Fairy's Fountain by mere coincidence. Immediately Navi, Tatl and Tael went flying to chat a bit with the fairies, which all had a red glow around them that indicated that they could simply heal any wounded person with their magic.  
"Wow, is this like a treasure room or something? Look at all the Rupees!" Zelda said, blinking.  
"Possibly, and we found it…" Saria said.  
"You know what they say: Finders keepers. We should take the rupees under the shared responsibility; who knows what we may encounter on shops or even Business Scrubs to get supplies from." Link said.  
"Good idea. They can come in use anyhow." Impa said, nodding.

Getting out of the water and letting whatever injuries they still had from the assault courtesy of the Cucco Revenge Squad by the resident Fairies, Link and the Sages went to collect the rupees before using a portal that was present to end up back in the main room, this time crossing the platform to the far side of the room where they saw the passageway that opened up, leading to another shaft going down, similar to the entrance of the Royal Family's Tomb, but this time big enough for everyone to move in. With Navi, Tatl and Tael at their side, the group prepared themselves and hopped down that hole…


	42. Chapter 42: The Longest Shortcut

_Chapter 42: The Longest Shortcut_

The group landed in what appeared to be an empty room that looked similar to the temples they may have been in before, especially regarding Link, but it was just a plain room. One side had a door ahead that was sealed shut, the other part led to a corridor that had a portal at the end.  
"Well, this must be it…" Link said, looking around.  
"Yeah. I wonder what needs to be done to progress." Zelda said.  
"Maybe we need to go through that portal over there to see what we can find there?" Saria asked.  
"Good point. Perhaps it can give us any clues or something." Ruto said, nodding.  
The group headed for the portal, finding themselves inside a large room with windows and tiles so shiny it left a mirrored image of the room around, as if the tiles had a property like a mirror. However, one wall had a mirrored window on the floor, but there was no window on that part…  
"That is weird, normally there should be a window…" Link said, moving over to investigate.  
"The acoustics sounds nice here; I can hear my voice echoing a bit." Ruto said.  
"There are gratings on the wall at high spots…" Impa noted, while Zelda went with Link.  
Using the Lens of Truth, Impa looked in the same direction as Link and Zelda were going in.  
"It's a fake wall; there's a Big Chest and a couple of Rupees behind it." She said.  
"Alright, thanks." Zelda said, smiling at her attendant while Link hopped in the room beyond the fake wall, indeed finding the chest and several rupees around.  
Moving to open the chest, Link blinked at what he saw.  
"More Clawshots?" He asked, taking one.  
"What? You found even more Clawshots?" Zelda asked, arriving in the room.  
"Yes. Perhaps we can use these in combination with the ones we already have." Link said.  
"Let's take them, who knows what use they can be for us." Zelda said, helping Link in gathering the Clawshots to hand them to the others, before collecting the present red and purple Rupees.  
"What an adventure we've been in so far." Link said softly so only Zelda heard him.  
"I'll say… and to think that this isn't over yet…" The Princess said.  
"I feel certain that we will make it. If not, I'll make sure I won't go down without a fight. He won't get us off-guard like last time."  
"Right. Now that we have the Purified Fierce Deity Mask as our secret weapon…" Zelda said, smiling which made Link smile in kind.  
"True. Hopefully the tables are turned in our favor this time." He said as they went to the others who were waiting for them.

Handing over the additional Clawshots to the group, giving each of the group Double Clawshots in turn, they looked around.  
"So, how do these work? I mean, we can use only one of these at a time, right?" Ruto asked.  
"Yes and no," Link said, "I believe that we can use the second one to reach another target while were hanging off the first one."  
"Can you show us?" Saria asked, confused.  
"Sure thing." Link said, using the first Clawshot to reach the first target after stepping on a switch that opened several doors in the higher floors in the room. Once attached to the first target, Link took his second Clawshot and fired it at a target close by, letting the first target go as he was pulled to the second one.  
With this, Link worked his way over to a room in the first floor area, after which he let go and entered the room. Looking around, he noticed a chest standing in the room that looked akin to the chests that contained the key leading to the Boss door.  
"That's strange; normally I'd expected something like a map or a compass or something." Link said, before opening the chest to collect the key, before making his way down again, using the leaf that Saria gave him in the Stone Tower Temple to gently float down and through that land safely back on the ground without any form of damage.  
"What did you find?" Zelda asked.  
"I found this key right here." Link said.  
"Huh? That's it?"  
"I guess so…"  
"Wait, I thought to have seen some keyholes in the giant door ahead. Perhaps we need those keys to open the door." Nabooru said.  
"Hmmm, this is weird." Link said, getting ready to climb his way up again, using the Clawshots to climb to the second floor, discovering two more chests that contained the Big Key, but these were in a different color. Where the first one he found had a black color, he now had keys with a Sapphire and an Emerald color.

Seeing the others following him, he waited for them as he climbed his way to the top area, using the Clawshots to reach the far side of the area using the gratings at the ceiling. While underway, he spotted that there was a portal right up ahead in the room in front of him.  
"Well, looks like we have to go through here." He said, switching to his Hookshot to get a ceiling target and pulling himself towards it when it hit.  
Once in the room, he waited for the others, who were also working their way up with the Clawshots. After the group had gathered again, they went through the portal and arrived back in the room with the giant door. Now Link noticed the three different Locks on the door, handing a key out to Zelda and Saria.  
"Let's see if this works." He said as the three went to put the keys in the corresponding locks, twisting them around until they heard the familiar *CLICK* of the locks unlocking.  
Instantly the markings on the door began to glow, before the door opened up by separating itself in columns, one part going up, the other going down, leading to a single room outside, with a very small stairway with what looked like a large switch at the end, the switch being so heavy that it required a serious pounding to activate. Realizing that this was his job to do, Darunia approached the switch.  
"This is weird, there are no enemies around as far as I have seen…" Link said.  
"Yeah, you think something like this must have been occupied somehow…" Zelda said.  
"Perhaps this temple was eventually abandoned to be left in obscurity after it has served its purpose for Ganondorf?" Impa theorized.  
"That could be possible, but as long as we can go through…" Rauru said.

Darunia went towards the switch, climbing on top of it before forming himself into a ball as usual, before jumping up and delivering the trademark Goron Pound on the Switch. This caused a siren to go off, sounding twice, making the group instantly draw their weapons, ready to face what was about to come… only for a thick circle of tiles on the ground in the room move and parts of it lowering, each tile going lower than the other… making it in fact a stairway that led to a doorway down on a lower level. Blinking at this, the group put their weapons away.  
"That was odd…" Link said.  
"Yeah, I wonder what will be next…" Zelda said as the group then went down the stairs.  
"Another hallway. This temple looks solid, but a place without traps and the like is a bit unsettling to me. It's like you're expecting things to happen, but when it doesn't, it makes you even more paranoid that you already are." Rauru said as they went through the open doorway and into a long hallway, hopping over platforms where necessary.  
"Yeah, as if things are trying to throw us off…" Impa said.  
"Well, as long as we can progress…" Ruto said.  
Link giggled at this as the group went on.

As they traveled further down the hall, the tiles that were a bit reddish in color were now a mixture of blue/cyan, as if they entered another section of the temple. No sooner did they see another room in sight and approached it, when a door closed behind them, separating the first section they were in before from the one they were in now, effectively locking them in and through that preventing them from backtracking.  
"Just as I thought…" Rauru said.  
"But where are the enemies?" Darunia asked.  
"Look, there's another giant door in that room up ahead." Saria said.  
"But this one has FOUR locks. So that means we need four of those Big Keys this time around." Link said.  
"Looks like the search game is afoot once more." Zelda said as the group went the other way, only to see a spider's web blocking their path, which Saria took out with a Fire Arrow.  
"At least it's something." She said as the group entered the room, which had several floating platforms ahead that went upward, which in effect would make the group go and find their way upstairs to the next room.  
"This is going to be quite a climb." Link said, looking up.  
"There's a floor switch directly ahead." Zelda said, pointing to an area before Link's feet.  
Stepping on it, Link could hear a nearby door responding to it by opening up, only to close directly after Link stepped off of it.  
"Great…" Link said as he stepped back on the switch, grabbed his Ocarina and played the 'Elegy of Emptiness' song, creating the statue of himself on top of the switch he stood on, after which Link himself walked away while his statue kept the switch pressed down.  
"We can advance now." Nabooru said as she hopped on one of the floating platforms, with the others following step by step, right before Saria entered a room where she found a few small chests containing some arrow bundles, which she took.  
She also saw another floor switch in that same room and, following Link's example, she stepped onto the switch and played the Elegy of Emptiness on her Ocarina to use her own statue to keep the switch pressed down for good measure. The door that opened because of the switch was leading into a small room which Zelda located, which also sported a suspicious looking crack in the left wall. Since she wasn't in the room itself, she prepared a Bomb Arrow and fired at the cracked wall, destroying it as the bomb detonated, which on its turn revealed a crevice in the wall containing a big chest with the same colors as the one she had seen with Link before in the secret room of the first area of this temple. She entered the room with the crevice and opened the chest, obtaining the Big Black Key in the process. Seeing another floor switch, she grabbed her Ocarina of Time and, while standing on the switch, also played the Elegy of Emptiness to keep that switch too pressed down with her own statue. Once that was done, she left the room to join the other Sages and Link, with the door now opened leading to a portal that would help them progress.

Entering the Portal, the group arrived now in a room that had a shadow moving left and right, But there was no visible clue as to what the shadow was. This prompted Impa to use the Lens of Truth to look around, locating a platform that was invisible to the naked eye. She also saw a few Rupees around and one Skulltula guarding the entrance to the ledge in front of a Spider's web. Zelda took both the Skulltula and the web out with a single Fire Arrow, before the group climbed on the only visible platform to get on top of the invisible ones, hopping over the platforms with care until they reached the ledge with the Big Chest, containing a Big Sapphire Key. Advancing ahead on the nearby platform, the group now arrived in a room that had a mirror in front of them. In the mirror and on the ground, the group could see a set of shadows in a straight line on a path to a high ledge that contained yet another Big Chest, once more guarded by a web with this time a Big Skulltula in front of it, which were also taken out with a single Fire Arrow, this time courtesy of Link. Making their way carefully over the platforms, using the Lens of Truth and the polished, mirrored wall as their guides, the group reached the crevice and opened the Big Chest to receive the Big Emerald Key. Advancing once more through the teleporter, the group now landed in a large, square room with yet again invisible platforms a polished floor, a crevice at the far side with a Big Skulltula and a web guarding it, but this time even the entrance to the crevice was made invisible to the naked eye. Saria fired another Fire Arrow to take out the hostile arachnid and the web in a single strike, before the group proceeded on the platforms to the crevice, although there were now going half a circle forward in the path in a counter-clockwise direction before they could enter the crevice. Once in the crevice, the Big Chest was now opened to reveal a Big Ruby Key. Stepping on the teleporter afterward, it took them back into the room where the Giant Door was, with Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto moving to the big locks in order to use the keys on them in the right places, which made the door open for them.  
"Whew, that's the endeavor through this part of the temple." Link said.  
"Check this out, this setting could be fitting for a town's square." Zelda said, seeing the clear, blue sky, the presence of two trees, a stairway underneath one of the trees at the far side of the room and seeing the sun shine overall. There were also some metallic rattling sounds, three inside the trees and one on the ground. These remained in place however, not making a move except turning around in position constantly.  
"What the-?! Gold Skulltulas? What are THEY doing here of all places?" Link said.  
"Is someone cursed here?" Zelda asked.  
"I don't know, but whatever the reason, we should deal with them, just in case." Link said, firing an arrow at the Gold Skulltula on the ground, instantly killing it before Link collected its token.  
The other three Gold Skulltulas were also taken out in a single strike, or two as Saria used her Slingshot for one occasion, while Ruto used her Magical Boomerang to collect the tokens. After that, the group moved on to the staircase, the area around them being completely silent. The staircase was long, but also a bit low with the small steps that it contained. Upon reaching the top, the group moved into another hallway, descending down the stairs that were present there and making a turn to the right to climb another set of stairs to move into the next area. Link yawned and stretched as he went on, but making sure not to hit any of the others.  
"Getting a bit sleepy, huh?" Zelda asked, giggling.  
"Sorry…" Link said, sheepishly grinning.  
"No need to be sorry; I think we can use a bit of a rest. We've been traveling on for quite a long time now I believe and, with the previous events considered, things have been rather hectic for all of us." Impa said, patting Link's shoulder as they entered a section of the temple that was technically a giant room with beige colored tiles.

Looking around the new room, they saw an open door with yet another giant door up ahead, this time the door had FIVE locks that needed the keys to open with. Moving to the left, the group could see several floating platforms up ahead, while at the ground floor area, there was a lower section that was filled with water that was flowing softly and gently from a present fountain. Smiling at this, Link simply hopped down to the ground floor and into the water puddle, seeing that it reached up to only his feet and felt rather comfortably, as if it was something like Spring Water. Yawning again, Link set down his equipment against the wall on the dry area and sat down into the water-filled area, finding the water soothing his legs a bit despite it only being a shallow pond. Chuckling at this, Saria and Zelda joined him by sitting at his sides, soon followed by Ruto, while Nabooru also joined in, providing a bit of a cushion for the group as she sat down as well. Rauru and Darunia decided to remain on the dry area, taking turns in watching over the group, while Impa also went inside the pond to help Nabooru, seeing that Link, Saria and Zelda had already fallen asleep, leaning against each other and Nabooru as they rested. Princess Ruto herself yawned as well before settling down in the water, deciding to lay down in the water instead due to her being a Zora. Soon enough, the entire group was vast asleep, resting peacefully inside the temple.

Several hours later, Link and the Seven Sages woke up again, yawning as they had a good rest indeed. Link walked to the fountain, using the stream of water coming from it to wash up his face to get it refreshed. It was of no surprise that Saria and Zelda both followed this example immediately.  
"Whew, that felt nice." Link said, using part of his outfit to get the water out of his eyes.  
Impa smiled.  
"Feeling better now?" She asked.  
"Yeah, I really needed that rest, apparently." Link replied.  
"We all did. At least we should have the energy to continue on." Nabooru said.  
"So, where do we have to go?" Darunia asked.  
"Those floating platforms obviously are present to make us reach the other side, but that path is blocked by means of a fence that has to be lowered first." Link said, walking to the fence first to see how high it is, moving through the water to the other side.  
Just as he went to move on the path going up to the fence however, Link yelped as he slipped and fell back on the ground on his rear, immediately causing Saria, Zelda and Ruto to rush at his side.  
"A slope?!" He asked after getting up and testing the upward path with his foot, now noticing it was slippery overall.  
"The fence itself is also somewhat high nonetheless." Zelda noticed.  
"Are you alright?" Saria then asked.  
"I'm fine, just made a slip, that's all." Link said, smiling.  
"Just be careful, we wouldn't want you to break anything." Zelda said as the children made their way back to the far side of the area, climbing the vines to get to the higher area, where the other Sages were waiting for them.

Darunia stood on top of yet another Goron Switch, which he then gave a Goron Pound onto once the group had gathered near him. As the switch was activated by the pound, the gate at the far side lowered itself into the ground, leaving the road open for the group to travel across the area using the floating platforms.  
"This could be... an excellent... training course... if you... ask me." Link said between jumping.  
"You got that right." Impa said, following after Zelda and Link himself, while Saria was behind her.  
The group managed to cross the platforms in time, as right after Rauru and Darunia landed in the corridor at the far side, the gate raised behind them.  
"Timed switches. Haven't seen those in a while." Link commented.  
"Hey, isn't that a Red Emblem on that glass/crystal disk or whatever it is on there?" Saria then said as she looked ahead, spotting the emblem she had seen in the Stone Tower Temple before.  
"Oh dear, I hope it doesn't turn this place upside down..." Zelda said, as Link fired a Light Arrow at it.  
However, all that happened was the symbol spinning around once, before it went back to normal.  
"Huh?!" Zelda and Saria asked, blinking.  
"That's weird..." Link said, firing a second Light Arrow at it, but was met with the same result as before.  
"It appears that it doesn't have any results..." Impa said.  
"Maybe it requires something stronger." Link said, setting up a third Light Arrow, readying himself to fire it, but held the arrow at its place, feeling strength increasing in it.  
After about 10 seconds or so, Link fired the Powered Light Arrow, which caused the disk to suddenly spin around like crazy in position once it was it, with sparks coming from its sides. In the distance however, the group could hear a scraping sound as if another gate was opening. This caused the group to blink.  
"What could be hiding here?" Saria asked.  
"Only one way to find out." Link said as he hoped down, yelping as he landed on a platform that had a trampoline for its surface, launching Link up a bit before he landed safely on the ground.  
Making his way to the right, Link looked around in the room, seeing different portraits or paintings at the wall to the left, but one of them had moved up and revealed a path behind it...  
"I have to give it to this place, it knows to hide its secrets." He said.  
"Yeah. I wonder what we will find here this time..." Zelda said as the group went up to a platform that raised using a Crystal Switch, although a ticking sound indicated that this one too was temporal as the group moved to the second platform, raising it to reach the new crevice they made, which led into another room with a pool of water.  
As the group approached the pool however, a presence made itself known. It was yet another Great Fairy, with the same appearance to the one they saw in the room back in the land between Ikana Canyon and the Woods of Mystery, being dressed in a green dress, with majestic, green wings flapping softly behind her, sporting the sweetest smile on her face that showed she was friendly too.  
"Welcome, great Warriors. I can see you have been through quite the hardships." The Great Fairy said.  
"That we have, ever since the Evil King Ganondorf and the wicked being known as Majora returned..." Princess Zelda said.  
"I understand. I will help you by upgrading some of your weapons. Receive it now!" The Great Fairy said, before spreading her arms.  
A glow appeared around the group, making them blink, but not moving. It was then that their respective swords and their bow and arrows began to glow, as if they were being changed...

This glow lasted for several seconds, before it dissipated, leaving the group now with a different color on their swords and bow and arrows. The hilts of their swords have now colored green while the blades themselves were now completely of pure gold. The bows had a little darker shade on them, so it wasn't that much of a different, but the primary change was seen in the arrows, which instead of the regular brown arrows with metal tips, they were now completely colored in Silver.  
"What happened?" Zelda asked.  
"You now are in possession of the strongest weapons at your disposal, being the Golden Sword and the Silver Arrows. By extension this also powers up the combination items you can make, being Silver Bomb, Silver Fire, Silver Ice and Silver Light Arrows. This will let you kill most enemies in a single strike, deal with obstacles quicker and regular Silver Arrows can now also directly harm armored enemies like Iron Knuckles." The Great Fairy said.  
"Really? Thank you very much." Link said, bowing politely to her.  
"As an added Bonus, I also attuned your 'Burst' Skill to some of your weapons. If you wait a bit before firing a weapon, not only will it have increased power, but will from now also have an extra effect: The Bow will fire THREE Arrows simultaneously in one shot, the Boomerang can be fired three times in rapid succession to stun multiple incoming enemies, Bombs and Bombchus will do twice the amount of damage and have a wider blast radius (making the Bomb Arrows extremely powerful), the Hookshot will have a three-pointed hook to deal damage, extends farther and is faster and the Nice Ice Rod will drop four Ice Blocks in a diamond formation." The Great Fairy said.  
"Wow, thank you!" Zelda said.  
"However, do not get careless; these upgrades come at the cost of a greater consumption of ammunition as well as magic power, so use these Charged abilities wisely." The Great Fairy said.  
"We will be careful, thank you." Saria said.  
"No problem, may the Goddesses be with you." The Great Fairy said, before departing.

After watching her leave, the group then saw a Big Chest standing at the far side of the pool. Link went to open it, retrieving the Big Gold Key. After that, the group turned back to the room they came from, spotting the gate to the left on the first floor, realizing the platforms they used to reached the crevice is like a switch-based staircase, intending to test the skills of the group. Locating another Goron Switch in front of the first platform, Darunia gave another Goron Pound on it, which lowered the gate, thus opening the road ahead. The group then got on the first platform, using the Crystal Switch to make it rise, before hopping onto the next, repeating the procedure to reach the third platform and then finally the upper floor, where they saw yet another Big Chest, this time Zelda opened it to retrieve the Big Black Key. Moving on and walking down a few steps, the group now moved over a path that was part of the first floor, that also acted like a bridge to reach into a room directly ahead. To their left, they saw floating platforms that moved left and right, with a crevice containing another big chest, while to their right there were a few trampolines that led to platforms left and right against the wall, going up while at the top there was another crevice where they also assumed that sported a Big Chest. A grating with vines was lowered on the far side of the bridge on the opposite wall, allowing them to reach the bridge again in case of an unfortunate mistakes that makes them land back on the ground again.  
"How about we split into three groups, with each group going after a chest?" Link asked.  
"A splendid idea. That saves a lot on time." Impa said.  
"I'll handle the path to the left with Darunia." Rauru said, pointing to the chest to the left side.  
"That room ahead looks like a challenge for me to take." Ruto said.  
"Alright, Impa and I will accompany you for this." Nabooru said.  
"Okay, that leaves us three for the last chest to the right. We'll meet back down here at the fountain once we're done." Link said, nodding.

With this, the group went on their way to complete their mission. Rauru and Darunia had little trouble in crossing the floating platforms to reach the Big Chest, which contained the Big Sapphire Key, before they moved back to the ground floor, standing inside the water. Link, Saria and Zelda hopped on the two trampoline platforms which brought them to the platform ladder, jumping from one to the other after activating a smaller timed switch that lowered a gate to the room near the ceiling. Using the Giant Leaves that Saria generated for them as parachutes, the three glided in the air from the highest platform into the room, where they found the big chest which contained the Big Emerald Key. Afterwards they used the leaves to glide back to the ground floor to meet up with Darunia and Rauru. Ruto, Impa and Nabooru entered the room directly ahead, with Ruto using her Magical Boomerang to activate a distant crystal switch behind a pillar, which let the platform they stood on float to the far side of the room, where a smaller room with one more chest awaited them on a slightly higher level which they reached by climbing vines, this one contained the Big Ruby Key. With the key in hand, the three returned back into the main room and also hopped down the bridge and into the water area of the fountain where the others were waiting for them. Meanwhile, Link went back to the fountain and filled an empty bottle he had with some of the fresh, clean Spring Water, before drinking from the bottle to lessen his thirst a bit. He then handed the bottle out to the others one by one to refresh them, whom accepted it with a smile. Afterwards, the group went back to where they entered the section of the temple, moving now into the room that contained the giant door. Link, Saria and Zelda gave the others now the honor to open the door, which they did; Ruto had the Big Sapphire Key, Darunia the Big Ruby Key, Nabooru the Big Emerald Key, Impa the Big Black Key and Rauru the Big Gold Key, setting them simultaneously in their respective locks, which opened the door ahead... which actually glided back to what appeared to be a tunnel area, the door locking itself against the wall at the far side of the tunnel while revealing the exit.

Climbing into the tunnel, Link took a moment to observe the flowing lights around the walls, with what appeared to be stones floating around beyond it. He slowly made his way onward, as if watching the area carefully, the Sages soon following.  
"This must be one of the very few temples where there is actually no boss around." Link said.  
"Yeah, I'm actually beginning to like this place, as strange as it may seem." Zelda said.  
"Perhaps we can use it as a training center?" Impa asked.  
"Good idea. It can test the skills and endurance of the soldiers easily." Zelda said, nodding as the group turned to the left into the large corridor.  
After turning to the right, they found themselves now fully outside in what appeared to be a high area, from where they could see the coast. A bit to the left, they could see the fragments of the ruined Hyrule Castle, while ahead, they saw what appeared to be dark clouds moving in a focused position over the area, while the water had an ominous dark appearance to it. There was also a boat that apparently had docked nearby. Link sighed.  
"Well, this is it, no more turning back." Link said.  
"Indeed. I guess we should take the boat to go to where their lair is." Zelda said, as the group went on towards the boat, moving over the dock to reach a net to climb in the boat...


	43. Chapter 43: Onto the High Mountains

_Chapter 43: Onto the high mountains_

A large boat was sailing its way over the ocean ahead, moving in a straight line towards its destination. On the boat were a total of eight people: four adults and four children. The trip itself went uneventful as Link and the Seven Sages just waited, with Rauru and Darunia steering the boat, while the others sat near them. As they did, they studied their newly upgraded weapons, as a gift of one of the Great Fairies they had encountered not too long ago, which in turn left the group with stronger weapons than ever. Link sat against the wall on the deck area behind Rauru and Darunia, obviously contemplating things. For a brief moment, he drew his sword to observe the now pure-golden blade area, feeling it brim with power to smite evil of any sort, before putting it back in its scabbard, sighing. He knew that the upcoming days would be hard, perhaps even suicidal. But to save their lands, he would gladly do it.  
"A Rupee for your thoughts?" Ruto asked as she sat next to him.  
Link looked towards her.  
"Oh, nothing much. Just thinking about the days to come." Link said.  
"It's going to be quite tough for us, huh?"  
"You bet. Which is why I hope that this time we will be victorious…"  
"We all hope so. I am certain we'll make it through, as long as we stick together and watch over each other closely."  
"Indeed." Link said, nodding.  
"And there's no way back for us at all, I assume…" Ruto then said.  
"No. We've gotten too far now to turn our backs and hide or go with another training course. By the time we think we are prepared, Ganondorf and Majora will likely have made their fort impenetrable so no one can be of a decent threat to them anymore and they could take us out in a blink of an eye. We must end this now before both Hyrule and Termina will be left in a state worse than it has been before with all the monsters and cursed people around." Link said, nodding.  
Ruto nodded, sighing herself.  
"It sounds a bit poetic, that only a handful of people are even remotely capable of mounting a proper defense against evil…" Ruto said.  
Link chuckled.  
"I bet that songs will be sung about the events in the days to come." Link said.  
"I hope it will be happy ones that tell about us overcoming evil…" Ruto said.  
Link laughed at this.  
"Trust me, Ruto. If we manage to win from Ganondorf and Majora both, I'd accept nothing less than a full opera." He said, making Princess Ruto chuckle at this.  
"That's definitely something that will be enjoyed by everyone." She said.  
"Besides, we already died once and I don't intend to die again, unless it's of old age." Link said.  
"We all feel the same on that." Ruto said.  
Link nodded with a smile, acknowledging that even Ruto has mellowed out somewhat due to the seriousness of the situation as a whole. Where she was once boasting a little to be Link's self-proclaimed fiancé due to the importance of Zora's Sapphire to her, it appeared as if she was given a reality check due to events of the Future That Almost Was, coupled with what has transpired with her too over the past several weeks…

Upon reaching the mountain area, already the group could feel a cold wind blowing over the area.  
"Geez, reminds me of Snowhead with its winter climate, but without the blizzard." Link said.  
"Yeah, it's only typical for them to stick around the mountainous area." Zelda said.  
"I wonder why Ganondorf and Majora have made their fort all the way over here instead of just replacing Hyrule Castle…" Impa said.  
"They either wanted something bigger around to house their soldiers and prisoners, make things overall tougher for us, or they could have chosen the place to make us fade in obscurity in case we fall by their hands. I intend to prove them otherwise, no doubt about that, but it's a possibility." Link said.  
"Given their overall powers and their animosity for us, I see no reason to doubt your reasoning for thinking like that." Rauru said as he slowed down the ship and prepared it for docking alongside the pier.  
The others nodded as the cold wind blew over the deck as Rauru docked the ship at the pier, making sure the net was out for the group to climb off.  
"Still plenty of snow around…" Saria said as the group got off their ship and onto the pier, before walking into a cavern that led to the mountain trail towards the new Tower of Ganondorf and Majora.  
"Let's hope we don't catch a cold underway." Darunia said.  
"It would be quite messy if we did." Link said with a chuckle.

After climbing over a stack of crates that were set up almost like a makeshift staircase, Link and the Seven Sages arrived at the first part of the new mountain area, landing on a small path which had the road blocked to their left by means of a large pine tree. The path continued to their right, only for them to come face to face with yet ANOTHER Iron Knuckle. This one was clad in black armor and stood silent as a statue while holding its fearsome battle axe in his hands.  
"Time to test these babies out." Link said, preparing a Silver Light Arrow to strike the Iron Knuckle with.  
It immediately took damage and awoke, approaching the group as Saria took a shot herself, damaging it further. Zelda shot a Silver Light Arrow at it, making the Iron Knuckle lose its outer armor, which in turn made it faster as it now ran to the group. Thankfully Ruto assisted with first her Nice Boomerang to stun the Iron Knuckle as well as damaging it, before Link, Saria and Zelda took it out for good using their Silver Light Arrows. This in turn gave the group now room to progress, but in the distance they could see what appeared to be giant snowballs rolling against the wall at the far side of the path the heroes stood on.  
"Hmmm, looks like we'll need fire based attacks to help with this." Link said.  
"I'll go ahead using my Fire Punches to cover you. Just cover me using your Fire Arrows." Darunia said.  
"Right." Zelda said, giving the group a plan to progress.

With Darunia taking the lead, the group went onward, taking a turn to the left to enter the larger path up ahead, directly confronting the giant Snowballs heading to them. Darunia simply Fire-Punched those in his path, while Link, Saria and Zelda backed him up with Silver Fire Arrows, instantly obliterating any Snowball that was hit by them. Moving on, they climbed their way carefully to a higher ledge using nearby rocks and crates, with Darunia, Link, Saria and Zelda still keeping the Giant Snowballs at bay as much as they could to give the others time to join them. Once on the higher ledge, the group saw another Iron Knuckle standing there in position.  
"We'll handle the Iron Knuckle, just cover us with the Snowballs." Impa said to Zelda.  
"Understood." Zelda said, nodding as the entire group went on the offensive, with Link aiding the group engaging the Iron Knuckle with the best of his abilities, while also helping to strike any incoming Snowballs that would form a hazard to the others.

The Iron Knuckle was this time a bit more challenging to deal with due to the snowballs continuously rolling by. The Fire Punches and Silver Fire Arrows proved of great assistance to them, which made the fight somewhat easier as the Snowballs didn't pose much of a threat, allowing the major focus on the Iron Knuckle instead. Once it was defeated, although Impa narrowly avoided a swing of its axe, the group climbed their way to a higher area, going further up another ledge to see a cage on a larger area of flat ground. Breaking it open, the group blinked to see a villager of Hyrule Castle Town being released from it. The villager was an old man wearing a blue suit. As the group went to him, the flow of the rolling snowballs stopped.  
"Huh? You… came to free me?" He asked.  
"That we did." Link said.  
The man then saw Princess Zelda.  
"Your Highness, it is an honor to meet you in person." He then said, bowing politely.  
Zelda nodded.  
"Rise, civilian. Do you know what's going on around here?" She asked.  
"This area is the outer section of the greatest stronghold of the Evil King so far. I overheard some of the Stalfos around here say that their actual headquarters lies around here somewhere. The stronghold itself, being a massive tower, cannot be accessed unless a barrier that protects its entrance has been disabled. This barrier is powered by generators that look like a sophisticated machine using Terminan technology, one of them is located in the Stone Tower Temple." He replied.  
"So THAT was what the machine we saw was for! That explains their significance to the soldiers out here!" Link said, reaching an epiphany.  
"How many generators are there?" Darunia asked.  
"So far, I overheard that three of such generators exist, one of them being located in the Stone Tower Temple. The other two are located both somewhere in this area as well as in the actual headquarters itself, the one located out here being a small back-up generator to the main one in case it has to be taken off-line for maintenance." The man said.  
"Looks like we have a job to do on top of this." Nabooru said.  
"Be warned; these generators are likely to be heavily defended, so make sure you are well-prepared when you find them."  
"Thanks for the heads up. You should better get out of here as things will go hectic out here very soon." Link said.  
"There's a boat we've taken here that will allow you to get out of here. I suggest hiding around and wait until other prisoners have been freed so you can make your escape." Zelda said.  
"Alright, thank you very much." The man said, before taking his leave.

After the man was gone, the group used their Clawshots to reach a higher ledge, from which they moved onto a bridge that led to a greater platform, with wooden structures being in place as if something was under construction, perhaps something more akin to a Lookout post. No sooner had they arrived on the area when several Stalfos and Dinolfos arrived in the area to attack the group. Using their upgraded blades, the Dinolfos were dealt with rather easily, while the Stalfos were still tougher to beat, even though the heroes' superior weapons allowed them to deal significantly more damage than before. But the group was not allowed to rest after this short battle; two more lizard-like beings arrived in the area… by flight! They looked similar to the Dinolfos and Lizalfos, which indicated that they were related, but these lizard creatures sported wings as well as a sword and shield. These were Aeralfos, whom took position around the group.  
"What in the world?!" Zelda asked.  
"Hey, those shields look like they have some kind of grating on them…" Impa said, just as the Aeralfos got in a defensive position and charged at the group from two sides.  
Link, Zelda, Saria and Nabooru were hit, Ruto, Darunia and Rauru avoided it and Impa side-stepped the Aeralfos, striking one of them in the back with a Silver Arrow, making it yelp in pain. However, the two Aeralfos took back in the air, ready to dive down again. Link however spotted what appeared to be a grating-like pattern on the shield, so he decided to wait until the shield was moved forward again, which was something the Aeralfos seemed to do before charging in with a dive attack. Immediately, Link grabbed his Clawshot, aimed and fired at the shield, the claw latching onto it, much to the shock of the Aeralfos itself.  
"COME HERE!" Link snapped, retracting the claw which dragged the Aeralfos towards him, before clobbering it with his own shield, dazing it, after which Link knocked the creature down and performed the Ending Blow on it, killing it instantly.  
Seeing this, Saria performed the same action Link did just before the second Aeralfos could dive down on them, also using the Shield Attack followed by the Ending Blow to defeat it, bringing victory for the group.

"That was unexpected; they're bringing in air support now?!" Ruto asked once the battle is over.  
"They obviously must have been here for a reason, I can't think of anything else other than them wanting to kill us." Link said.  
"Perhaps they're here to protect something?" Saria said.  
"That old man did say something about a back-up generator for a barrier that supposedly prevents us from entering Ganondorf and Majora's lair, so we may be quite close to where it has been placed." Zelda said.  
"Let's take a good look around here then…" Link said as he moved toward the wooden platform that he could reach easily, intending to use it to climb his way up.  
The others followed as Link approached an apparent dead end, but then Navi moved on and was floating in place at a small distance ahead.  
"What's the matter, Navi?" Link asked.  
"There must be something here, Link," Navi said, "perhaps your Ocarina can help with this?"  
"The Lens of Truth only shows a few platforms that are out of our reach…" Impa said.  
"And how is the ocarina going to help?" Ruto asked.  
"Perhaps if I do this…" Link said, before playing the Song of Time on his Ocarina.  
Instantly a blue glow appeared in the air, as blocks with the symbol of the Door of Time on every side were generated right before the group's eyes.  
"Well, you have your answer." Nabooru said with a smile.  
Ruto smiled as well, while Link got on the first block, moving onward and making his way up towards the invisible platforms which Impa saw.

Just before Link wanted to turn to the right, he saw what appeared to be tracks in a crevice to his left. Feeling that this was a bit out of place, he hopped over to it, seeing that the tracks led into a path he hadn't seen right away from the ground up, the trees at the edge having hidden it well as well. His curiosity peeked, he went to investigate, following the tracks along the way, with the others behind him. They eventually arrived in a large room with what appeared to be a cart on the tracks and a total of five doorways around, almost in a six-way pattern.  
"What is this?! Is this like an abandoned mine or something?!" Zelda asked.  
"That's possible, but I wonder what is out here…" Impa said.  
It was then that Link heard the eerie sound of something coming from above.  
"Oh for Nayru's sake, not THESE guys again?!" He said, jumping forward to avoid a Wallmaster, which landed on the spot where he just stood, with Ruto taking it out in a single strike of her Golden Zora Sword.  
However, before Link could thank her, he was suddenly hit in the back with something, right before Saria was met with a similar treatment, causing Link and Saria to crash into each other, knocking them out for the moment.  
"What the-?!" Zelda asked, before she was hit at the side of her head, also rendered unconscious.  
Impa instantly put on the Lens of Truth and discovered to her shock that there were not one, not two, but FOUR Invisible Floormasters in the area, which turned their attention to the remaining Sages. Gathering his own power, Darunia raised his hand in the air, gathering his powers, before smashing it on the ground, creating a geyser of fire-based energy that promptly incinerated the Floormasters, making them split in three, although most of the smaller Floormasters were caught in the remains of the Fire Geyser, instantly incinerated as well, while Impa struck swiftly to take out the others before they could siphon the energy of the others to grow back to their normal size. Taking the unconscious three with them, the group moved on into the central shaft, where they heard a humming sound as if something was being produced there. As they arrived in a single room, they could see a smaller adaptation of the device they had seen in the Stone Tower Temple before, the humming sound waking the three up.  
"What the-?! What happened? Where are we?" Link asked, shaking his head to remove the stars out of his vision.  
"I think we may have found the back-up Generator." Impa said, whom had crouched down near him and Zelda, while Nabooru intercepted another Wallmaster and let it land on her swords, impaling it in the process which meant its death as well.  
"Wow, so the back-up generator is here, huh?" Zelda asked.  
"Yep, but it looks protected against bombs." Impa said.  
"Perhaps this Powder Keg can be of help." Darunia said, lighting up a Powder Keg and laid it in front of the Generator's main power supply, before the group made their way out to take cover.  
With a loud explosion, the Powder Keg detonated, the force of it severely damaging the power generator, which caused it to overload and began to explode itself, destroying the generator in the process. Feeling the explosions, the group decided to make a run for it to outside and into the invisible platforms outside, with Impa leading on to make them visible for the group. No sooner were they outside and about halfway over the platforms, when a fireball blasted outside the mineshaft, causing the entrance to it to collapse and the snow that was on top of it to move down, creating an avalanche that made a more safer path to travel down on at the bottom, while also making one of the invisible platforms directly visible because of it.  
"Whew, that was a close call." Link said.  
"I'll say. At least that back-up generator's destroyed, so we won't be bothered by it anymore." Zelda said.  
"Let's continue on, our job's done here." Rauru said.

Moving into a different mineshaft, the group went first with a curve to the right, then to the left, where another barrier was blocking their path. With the barrier having the same appearance as the one seen in the Stalfos Outpost within the forest, Darunia knew that a Powder Keg could break them, but he used the one to destroy the generator before and this time there were no chests around. Link wasn't giving up and instead tried to charge up a Silver Bomb Arrow.  
"Take cover!" Darunia said, before the group moved behind Link.  
Link then fired the Charged Silver Bomb Arrows, which made him shoot three at once, which blasted the barrier to bits!  
"Wow, it takes a bit of time, but it gets the job done." Link said, blinking.  
"I'll say, but we may need to conserve ammo sooner or later." Zelda said as the group then ventured through the open door, coming across what appeared to be a small look-out post or a wooden framework that allowed soldiers to climb up the higher path at the far side of the area. Overlooking the path, as if guarding it, was a single Bomb Soldier, whom instantly began to toss bombs in the direction of the group once it spotted them, only to be taken out by a single Silver Bomb Arrow courtesy of Zelda, giving the group the opportunity to climb up to the far side of the area over the wooden platforms. Once having reached the higher path, the group made their way along towards another mineshaft, taking out a single Lizalfos along the way and climbing a ladder at the end of the short tunnel, which led to a higher-laid path, leading to a cliff where at the bottom was another snow-covered path leading to a frozen pond with a frozen waterfall. Directly ahead was another Lizalfos, accompanied by another Bomb Soldier, both of whom were easily taken out, although Link caught the bomb that the Bomb Soldier threw and tossed it away before its explosion could do any harm, exploding harmlessly in the air instead.  
"Wow, this area's big." Nabooru commented.  
"Sounds fitting for a stronghold to me." Darunia said as the group moved to a nearby ladder and climbed down onto the path leading to the frozen waterfall, where a doorway was between two slabs of ice, sealed with the same wooden barrier the group had seen before and a single Moblin was guarding it.  
Seeing this, the group waited while Link took out the Barrier with another Charged Silver Bomb Arrow, while Zelda used a regular Silver Arrow to take out the Moblin. Afterwards, the group went into an open doorway, which led into a tunnel where a chest was in the center. Opening the chest, the group found a large bundle of arrows to use with their bow, increasing their supply of Silver Arrows along the way. Exiting the tunnel led the group into a single room in the outside field, with towering wooden structures present that did serve as a Lookout post for real, occupied by three Lizalfos, two Moblins and three Bomb Soldiers. Immediately two of the Lizalfos jumped down to ground level to confront the group, ready to attack. Rauru and Impa took out the two Lizalfos with ease, but then the Bomb Soldier came to ground level, tossing a bomb at the group. Saria, imitating Link on this, caught the Bomb and tossed it back to the Bomb Soldier this time, damaging it when it detonated. The Bomb Soldier on its turn got angry and tossed a sudden cluster of FIVE bombs at once to the group, making them scatter in order to stay out of their blast radius. At the same time, Saria managed to fire a Silver Arrow at the Bomb Soldier, defeating it, which in turn allowed the group to climb up the first wooden platform. No sooner had they arrived there, when a second Bomb Soldier landed on the bridge, while the first of the two Moblins arrived and got ready to charge at the group, while the third Lizalfos stood behind him, moving as if taunting the group. Launching a Silver Arrow himself, Link took out the charging Moblin, whom knocked the Bomb Soldier off the bridge in its fall, where Saria tossed a bomb after him to defeat it. Zelda used a ray of her own magic power to blast the taunting Lizalfos to bits, before the group moved on over the bridge to the second wooden platform.

Just as Saria worked on making vines for the group to climb onto the higher part of the second platform, the third Bomb Soldier arrived, along with the second Moblin and two Dinolfos, the latter two jumped off a high part of the mountain and onto the far side of the area, onto a ledge near the third wooden tower. Darunia defeated the Bomb Soldier with ease, while Nabooru used a Golden Sword Spark to kill the Moblin instantly, leaving only the Dinolfos to deal with. Link and Zelda both successfully pulled off the Mortal Draw against them, finally defeating all the enemies in the area . Darunia in the meantime broke open a cage, freeing a Goron in the process.  
"Thanks for rescuing me." The Goron said, whom gave Darunia a free Powder Keg in gratitude.  
"No problem." Darunia said, smiling as he felt a bit of pride coming to him for being able to aid a comrade in their time of need.  
"Be careful around here though, the road to the Headquarters is near here, but the base is SWARMING with enemies." The Goron said.  
"Don't worry, we can take them on."  
"Are you sure? I've overheard that some of the weaker enemies have now received armor to increase their defenses against you; their testing ground is within these headquarters and the tower itself."  
"We are sure. Rest assured, comrade; the enemy won't last long." Darunia said, turning to the others, whom nodded with confidence to him.  
"Very well. I must urge you to remain cautious; the headquarters is located underground, so be wary of areas that will have either lava or molten steel around."  
"Alright, thanks for the heads up."  
"Don't mention it." The Goron said, before leaving the area himself. Following after him, the group went back through the tunnel and into the area that now had platforms to the right the group had to climb up on, with yet another Moblin arriving in the area, only for Nabooru to take it out with yet another Golden Sword Spark.

With the enemies dealt with, the group began to climb on top of the platforms to the right to make their way up to a higher path on the far side of the area.  
"Evening is about to fall…" Ruto said, looking up in the sky.  
"Indeed. We may have found the headquarters either during the night or otherwise during the next day." Rauru said.  
"But we can't stop now to rest though; we may freeze to death if we do." Impa said.  
"I have a feeling we won't be able to have any rest in the upcoming time, we'd better prepare for the worst." Link said.  
"Agreed. Our lives and those of the people in Hyrule and Termina depend on this." Zelda said.  
"But what if Ganondorf and Majora are still too strong?" Saria asked.  
"Thinking of the worst case, huh?" Nabooru asked.  
"It is a possibility," Darunia said, "but even if that is the case, we will show them that they are not invulnerable."  
"Indeed. And I intend to spend every bit of my energy in fighting them until I can't fight no more. And as far as I'm concerned, I'll fight them until my very last breath." Link said, determination shining in his eyes.  
"Hahahaha! That's the spirit, brother! Songs will be sung of your outrageous courage and determination." Darunia said, patting Link's shoulder.  
"Majora said that we were thorns in the sides of Ganondorf and Majora. How long can they survive our stings?" Nabooru said with a smirk.  
Impa, while remaining serious, nodded with a smile.  
"Either way, we will make them pay." She said, just as the group went through another tunnel, headed for the next area.


	44. Chapter 44: A Race to the Bottom

_Chapter 44: A Race to the bottom_

It was night when the group finally arrived in the next area, outside of the tunnel. At the far side of the platform they were on was a shed that was blocked by a single Mad Scrub, with a path going all the way down and up the mountain. Saria prepared a Silver Arrow to shoot the Mad Scrub with… only for the arrow to be blocked by a barrier, courtesy of a Barrier-Generating Wizrobe!  
"These guys again?! I haven't seen them since Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru and I ventured through the land between the Woods of Mystery and Ikana!" Link said, just as the Wizrobe vanished.  
"How do we beat these guys?!" Impa asked.  
"Whenever we fire at who or whatever the Wizrobe is guarding, it will appear to cast the energy barrier around the creature for several seconds before turning invisible again. That is the ONLY time that the Wizrobe on its turn can be harmed." Nabooru said, demonstrating it with Zelda as Zelda fired a Silver Arrow of her own at the Mad Scrub, making the Wizrobe with the barrier appear, only for Nabooru to slash the Wizrobe with her Golden Scimitar Swords, damaging it.  
Saria then fired at the Mad Scrub again, making the Wizrobe appear on a different spot, where Princess Ruto slashed at him with her sword, defeating it. Zelda then fired an arrow at the Mad Scrub, instantly defeating it. Link then saw a cage hanging in the air and fired an arrow at it to break it open, only for the Silver Arrow to strike another barrier, generated by a SECOND Barrier Wizrobe. Seeing as how they had been defeated, Darunia rushed at the Wizrobe and hit it in the face. Link fired at the cage again, forcing the Barrier Wizrobe to remain in place to generate the barrier again, allowing Darunia to finish it off with a second Goron Fire Punch. Firing a Silver Arrow for the third time at the cage, Link smiled as this time, the cage broke open and another Goron came out, this time it was a much younger Goron, although slightly older than the Elder Goron's son in Snowhead.  
"Huh? Wha-?! You… you freed me?!" He asked, looking around.  
"That we did, my friend." Darunia said as the others came towards him.  
"Thank you." The Goron said with a smile, just as chests appeared on the ground around the spot where the cage was hanging before.  
Opening the chests, the group smiled at finding another set of bombs and bundles of Arrows to replenish their ammunition with, while the Goron waited for them at the shed.

Once the group had restocked, they went to see the Goron again.  
"What are you doing?" Ruto asked, scratching her head, while Saria was shivering in the cold, causing Link to put an arm around her in order to try and keep her warm, making Saria blush.  
"I want to make a little race with you. You can use these planks here to stand on and follow me down the mountain." The Goron said.  
"Okay, but where are we going?" Link asked, deciding to humor him.  
"It's a secret, but it's definitely something that is of great importance to you. In fact, it will allow you to continue your journey towards where you're planning to go." The Goron said.  
"You have our interest now. Are there any conditions to this?" Zelda asked.  
"Just one: all of you have to reach the bottom before me. That's it." The Goron replied with a smile.  
"Sounds like an interesting challenge." Link said, sheathing his weapons and adjusting his outfits as he grabbed one of the planks.  
"So, how do these work?" Nabooru asked.  
"Just stand on it. With how this mountain runs, speed won't be an issue. Just make sure you maintain balance." The Goron said as he moved to the far side of the shed, rolling up to charge up a roll himself, while Darunia did the same.  
The others did as they were told, making sure their feet would hold on the plank.  
"Are you ready, then let's go!" The Goron said, starting up his roll, before he went on his way.  
Link used his left foot to take a few steps to gain speed before moving it on the plank, gaining speed as he went now down the mountain, shifting his body to steer in the direction that the Goron was moving on. Link decided to take it easy on this route, as if wanting to see where the Goron would be going. The remaining Sages followed with a bit of distance, ensuring they wouldn't bump into each other by accident this way.  
"Oh man, talk about a sudden change in travel methods." Link said to himself as he slid further down, first going to the right, then left as the trail moved in a bit of a snake trail, before hopping on a smaller path further down and hopping from there on lower ground, the speed he was traveling with being enough to knock an Iron Knuckle who stood in the way to the side, causing Link to blink at this.  
"Now that's a heavy crash." He said as he kept going, moving further down through a narrow passage, knocking a second Iron Knuckle aside at the end of the path, letting Link pass through.  
"Well, this is putting a new spin on things." He said as he continued on his way.

Going over a higher path and taking a curve to the left, Link continued onward while taking a turn to the right, knocking a third Iron Knuckle aside as to give the others free rein to pass.  
"What's the deal? It's as if I'm going so fast I'm knocking these guys over like bowling pins!" Link said, taking a small turn to the right, moving onward and knocking a Dinolfos aside as well, moving on and knocking even a Stalfos over along the way.  
Meanwhile, Zelda gulped as she narrowly missed bumping against the edge of the path, not being used to this. Then she remembered a bit of what had happened within the Tower of Light that she had been in with Link, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru, where they also had to pull off such an act just to get back downstairs from the tower itself after presumably being locked in and dealing with a Bomb Soldier whom was protected by a Barrier Wizrobe, the major difference being that now she was still in her normal sized self, as were the others. This brought some sense of comfort for her as she made her way along, following Link's trail as much as she could. Similarly, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru adapted well, while being on the lookout for Darunia as he had his Spiked Goron Roll on, not wanting to get impaled by him.

Another boat was making its way over the ocean to the island that the group was on, although this one looked different from what the group had used. Still, it had several passengers present who were also battle-hardened, ready to take on what was coming to them. On the front side of the deck, there stood two Gerudo, one with dual-scimitar swords strapped on her back, while the second one carried a glaive, while a bow and a quiver with arrows was strapped on her back.  
"When do you think we'll arrive here, sis?" The younger Gerudo asked the one next to her.  
"Probably over the course of the next day. Let's hope that we're not too late as I feel that they need our help more than ever. They have helped us out before, now it's time for us to return the favor." The older Gerudo said.  
"Lady Reimu, we have land in sight straight ahead." Another Gerudo then shouted to her from the crow's nest.  
"Understood. Maintain course towards that land!" Reimu replied.  
"As you wish, my Lady." The Gerudo controlling the ship said.  
"Leia, have the troops ready for a final check. I want everyone to be ready for this for when we go in." Reimu said.  
"Yes, sister." Leia said, nodding before she moved off.  
Reimu watched her go, before sighing.  
_'Rest assured, Lady Nabooru, we will come to help you and your friends out. You are going to need our help soon enough, I know it.'_ She thought to herself as she continued looking forward, seeing the mountain range coming into view.  
On the deck of the ship, several other Gerudo, the four Pirates whom were with the group at the Stone Tower Temple before among them, presented themselves before Leia. Several soldiers from what remained of the Hyrulean and Terminan armies were also present, battle-hardened and ready to avenge their fallen comrades, having taken up some additional training from the Gerudo, who for once have put their differences aside in regards to their normally reclusive nature and took up arms to help in fighting the greater evil that was rampaging across their lands.

Romani and Cremia still tended to their ranch, assisted by a few Gerudo whom decided to stay behind in order to provide at least some form of a last defense in case things would go awry, while at the same time also ready to treat any wounded that came their way. Having seen the rampaging Cuccos in action, the civilians of Clock Town have taken up arms and drove whoever survived of the Corrupted Soldiers out of town after stripping them of their weapons, effectively creating the Terminan Resistance Group, with one division led by Kafei, the husband of the Stock Pot Inn-keeper Anju. The main commander of the troops was Captain Viscen, whom now had the opportunity to prove his worth. Working together with Mutoh, the boss of the Carpenters, construction was underway to repair and reinforce the town's walls as well as forming a more formidable defense against any oncoming enemies. Ironically, the enemies that remained swarming around the direct vicinity of Clock Town, the ChuChus, Real Bombchus, Blue Bubbles and Dodongos proved to be of excellent target practice as these creatures kept coming back to replace any of their fallen comrades. A few soldiers also took pleasure in injuring the Takkuri, mainly to keep it away from any travelers that moved around in order to get the supplies needed to feed the townspeople and soldiers alike. As for Clock Town itself, the mess that was left behind during the rampage of the Cucco Revenge Squad was eventually cleaned up, the remains of the soldiers whom were slain by the Cuccos were tossed out, buried in an unmarked grave and forgotten about once it was done, letting nature run its course on the corpses underground.

The Gorman Brothers in the meantime were eventually caught in another, rather careless, attempt of sabotage and were subsequently captured, tried and put into prison, which in turn disappointed the Gorman Brother leading the Gorman Troupe act as he couldn't believe his hard-working brothers did such acts simply to hinder the competition, in particular Romani Ranch. Whatever animals were stolen from the ranch were eventually returned, much to Cremia's delight, so she could treat them properly to have their strength recover. Nobody would ever hear from Sakon ever again, much less find his rotting corpse as it was still behind his own self-made hideout with the closed rock wall as main security barrier. Even if they would learn of his fate, their common reaction would be: 'Good riddance', considering how much of a bad person Sakon has been. Especially Kafei would be satisfied to learn of his demise, although he would be slightly disappointed in not being able to deliver a punch or two of his own against him for stealing his precious Sun's Mask, which was now the Couple Mask which Link still had with him.

The Deku Royal Family in their palace in the Southern Swamp also made some additional preparations, with the King being much more rational and letting the monkeys help in forming a defense alongside the Deku Guards. The Gorons in Goron Village also prepared themselves, mostly to defend their Elder and his son, hoping that this time there will be no harsh winter like last time. Each of the Gorons in Snowhead remembered Darmani the Third, one of the bravest Gorons that ever lived, inspiring the Gorons there through his spirit to be determined to defend their lands of any evil that would try to come close at it with the best of their abilities. At the beach areas, the friendly Zora were on patrol a lot more, while others formed an escort force for those who were needed to go on errands or in case other Zora wanted to be visited, one of those Zora groups escorting Lulu to the lab so Lulu had the time to finally see her children again, whom were excited at seeing her. Mainly thanks to the efforts of Link, the Zora babies were growing in a steady, healthy pace, soon old enough to grow from their tadpole forms to the Humanoid forms like Princess Ruto. It brought great relief to Lulu to see that her seven children were healthy so far, hoping they would soon be strong enough to come with her to Zora Hall. This brought a sense of confidence and safety as well to her, knowing what she must do to protect her children…

A whole different story however was, as usual, Ikana Canyon, since that land was already haunted by the dead. It was logical that the cursed land by itself would remain untouched as many travelers would avoid the area like the plague, unless they had the right courage and determination to overcome the dangers of the area, considering the Garo Robe Ninjas still dwelled there to this very day, ready to report to their master about their findings concerning the Ancient Castle of Ikana. It was as if Ikana itself, regardless of whom had tried to ease the lingering souls there, would be cursed for eternity, considering the history full of bloodshed and suffering of the Kingdom as a whole. It would be the kind of curse that was not of Ganondorf or Majora's doing and could therefore not be lifted so easily; the only achievements that could be made would be to ease and heal the souls lingering with suffering and regrets instead, which in turn would allow such souls to rest in the peace they were seeking.

Having knocked another Iron Knuckle aside along the way, Link sped on his makeshift snowboard on a large slab of ice in a cavern, gritting his teeth at the scraping sound, but not slowing down one bit. Seeing the path split up ahead, he took a slight offset to the left, leading him to a higher area over the snow, maintaining his position to maintain balance. Apparently the experience back in the Tower of Light has done him well as he remembered to shift his position well enough to change course where necessary, ensuring he would stay on the path.  
"Talk about getting some excitement in during the night," he said as he properly hopped over several gaps, making a turn to the right to stay on the higher path, "I hope the others are alright…"  
"If anyone told me that I would be snowboarding across this area, I would have laughed them out of the castle for this…" Zelda said as she exited the cavern herself, seeing Saria further ahead.  
"Oh wow, if the other Kokiri would hear about this…" Saria said, shuddering a little while trying to maintain focus.  
"If I ever said that I wanted some more excitement in my life in the past, I would go back in time to where I said it and make me eat those words." Ruto said, gulping a little.  
"I've heard of some rather harsh training courses, the Training Grounds in the Gerudo Fortress being an infamous example, but THIS goes beyond it!" Nabooru said as she attempted to stay on the right path.  
"Good thing this isn't used as a race track in the Goron Races…" Darunia mused as he rolled on, knocking several Lizalfos over like bowling pins along the way.  
"I wonder how this will eventually benefit us…" Impa said as she now exited the same cavern, with the silent Rauru not too far behind her.  
Link could feel his body bouncing a little as he then moved over a bridge made of logs while knocking another Stalfos to the side, passing underneath a building and going in a circle in a counter-clockwise direction to a higher part of this building, before entering a narrow path that would be more ideal for a sled to ride, considering the steep hills that pretty much acted like guard rails. He had the young Goron in sight, but he would be unable to catch up on him. He did spot a small ice platform that laid in the center of the path he slid on once he was past the steep hills, while he moved on to what appeared to be a cart that would take him back to where he started the race, the young Goron ahead. As the cart took off, he saw that Saria was coming in as well...  
"I feel a déjà vu coming on…" Link said as he prepared to get to the course a second time, the others not too far behind.

On their second round, Link decided to get more speed in to catch up on the Goron rapidly and hopefully get past him during the course.  
"I wonder where we will eventually end up in once this race is over…" Link said to himself as he went on ahead, memorizing the course this time around as he made his way over the course, taking the same route he had taken before, but now there were no enemies that acted as obstructions.  
Saria was now getting closer, intending to catch up with Link to follow his route for a change and see where he was going once the paths would split over different courses overall.  
"I have to admit, this is kind of fun. It's something else for once other than being chased around or fighting for your life." Link said as he entered the cave a few minutes later.  
"I wonder if this place can be explored without the snow… or the snowboard…" Saria wondered herself as they sped onward, the others following not too far behind…

Ganondorf and Majora in the meantime were making their final preparations for in their tower, unaware of the group being on the same island as they were...  
"Hopefully the confrontation comes soon; the sooner those fools are dead, the better." Majora said.  
"Getting a bit anxious, are we?" Ganondorf asked.  
"That group of eight are an insult to our existence, Ganondorf and you know it. How they manage to revert back to normal from being turned to stone still baffles me."  
"The answer is very simple, Majora; they possess the powers that destiny has blessed them with that offers them a degree of protection against such spells and curses."  
"What? So those very powers you seek are protecting them in a way?"  
"Correct. It also grants them powers in their own right, which in turn makes them already formidable opponents."  
"And I suppose you want those powers as well…"  
"That is correct, but that is not the main reason. You obviously are not familiar with the holy relic that is native to Hyrule known as the Triforce, which has been said to be able to grant any wish to those who touch the complete Triforce." Ganondorf said.  
"Pah, myths and legends of ancient times. Who cares about that?! It's likely a bunch of rubbish anyway; just deal with those pricks so we can finally rule the world the way we see fit!" Majora snarled.  
This made Ganondorf stop in his act for a moment, turning to Majora, who merely frowned at him.  
"I shall remember those words of blasphemy, Majora. You will be eating those words once the proof is shown in your face." Ganondorf said, narrowing his eyes.  
"Whatever." Majora simply said, moving on to make a few more of their henchmen stronger and curse a few prisoners along the way, leaving Ganondorf by himself.  
Ganondorf on his turn kept his eyes narrowed.  
"Insolent fool," he drawled in a low voice, "you have no idea what you're up against. It's no wonder why Termina was technically doomed in the first place… I wonder if your existence was also meant to be an insult to the people who blasphemed the Goddesses…"  
Ganondorf then stood up, moving on towards the top of the tower himself.

Passing over the logs and going through the building again, Link found himself shifting positions to maintain speed and balance, as if it became a natural skill of his to pick up on new skills rapidly than any seasoned warrior. Then again, the Triforce of Courage allowed him this ability to master most of these new skills and weapons in a shorter time, which was needed to pass specific trials as well as to fight evil. Granted, he too needed the occasional training in order to keep his skills spic and span in the first place, but with the way he has been holding out so far makes him quite the exceptional warrior, with skills in practically almost every weapon; melee, ranged, explosives… something that the soldiers of Hyrule could take lessons off in order to become much more competent as a whole. While the Hyrulean Army did have competent soldiers by itself, there were of course those who has shown acts of cowardice or recklessness, something that didn't sit well with Impa and Zelda in particular. Which is why they were looking for additional training courses to truly test the soldier's vigor and determination. Perhaps Link could show them a thing or two himself…

As Link exited the trail with the steep snow hills, he slowed down and came to a stop onto the slab of ice.  
"Well, I guess this must be it, the last bit of this track." He said, just as Saria came to join him.  
"Have we gone ahead this far?" She asked as she stopped.  
"I guess. Hopefully the others will arrive shortly…" Link said, just as Zelda arrived with Impa in tow, shortly followed by Nabooru and Ruto. Shortly after, Rauru arrived while Darunia stopped in front of the group in a distance, before walking up to them.  
"Looks like we made it before the Goron did." Darunia said.  
"Phew, what a ride." Ruto said.  
"You said it. Although I have to admit, I was quite enjoying it." Link said.  
"Are you serious?" Nabooru asked, blinking.  
"Yeah, I didn't feel the pressure of being chased or anything for once, which is quite nice to experience if you ask me." Link replied.  
Zelda chuckled at this.  
"To be honest, I liked it too," she said, "I felt like I was free to simply move where I wanted to go."  
"I found knocking some of the enemies aside like bowling pins quite hilarious." Saria said, giggling.  
"You weren't the only one who found that funny." Link said, laughing himself.  
"So, where do we have to go now? We have done what the Goron wanted us to do… so now he must keep his end of the bargain…" Impa then asked, just as the Goron himself arrived.  
"Easy now, guys and girls, the ice platform isn't quite stable here…" Link said, feeling the ice underneath him beginning to sport a crack.  
"Wow, you managed to reach the platform before I did. Great job." The Goron said with a smile.  
"Okay, we raced with you, so why did you want to take us here for?" Nabooru asked.  
"Yeah, we're looking for the lair of our nemeses, so…" Zelda said.  
"Actually I brought you a bit closer to that location. Located underneath this slab of ice you're standing on is an underground area that will lead you straight to the enemy's lair." The Goron said.  
"That's terrific, that saves us a lot on having to find out where to go." Ruto said, smiling.  
"But how do we get there?" Darunia asked.  
The Goron responded by rolling up and using a Goron Pound to break the ice slab the group stood on, which in fact was the cover for a hole in the ground that caused them to fall down into it…


	45. Chapter 45: Going underground

_Chapter 45: Going underground_

The group slid down a chute, eventually landing on a wooden platform, between several stacks of crates alongside the walls and the path ahead.  
"OUCH!" Link said as he landed on his rear.  
"That was quite sneaky." Nabooru said, grunting as she got up.  
"Well, he showed us the way, but he didn't need to be so rough!" Darunia said.  
"Right. I only wonder where on Hyrule we are now…" Zelda said.  
"This looks like one giant storage facility… check out all those crates!" Ruto said.  
"It could be more than just a storage facility…" Rauru noted once the group had recovered altogether and got ready to explore the area.  
"Why is it so hot in here?!" Saria asked.  
"We'll find out as we'll explore the area. Let's go." Impa said.  
Moving past the stacks of crates, the group entered an area that apparently had a kind of machinery working around a small pool of what looked like lava.  
"Might as well switch to the Goron Tunics again." Nabooru said.  
"Good idea." Saria said.  
"What's the matter, Link? You seem rather… annoyed by the device there…" Zelda said.  
"It's nothing, it's just that such contraptions remind me of the Great Bay Temple… I just hope we don't have to tamper with it to change the flow or something…" Link said, before moving back behind the crates to get changed into his Goron Tunic.  
"It is hot, but is it really lava? Seeing as several crates are standing IN it…" Ruto said, blinking before putting her tunic on.  
"It's probably reinforced by some kind of lava-resistant magic or materials that can withstand such hot temperatures." Impa mused.  
"Hmmm…" Darunia said, nodding as he waited for the others.

Once the group had switched back to their Goron Tunics, by extension benefitting from its heat-resisting properties, the group made their way down the platform they were on, landing in a wider area that was separated by a small lava river. The gap was too big to be merely jumped over and on the far side were already a few enemies present. This time, there was one enemy that stood silent like an Iron Knuckle, but instead of an axe it carried a massive broadsword that could inflict just as much pain as the axe itself. The enemy itself was completely covered in armor. Nearby this enemy was a Dinolfos, also clad in armor, carrying crates to and fro around a small crevice in what appeared to be a small storage stack.  
"This must be something big; if the enemies here are armored…" Ruto said, blinking.  
"Yeah, perhaps this could be more than your run-off-the-mill outpost." Nabooru said.  
"But how do we cross this lava river to fight them?" Saria asked.  
"There's a metal plate held in the air by ropes. If we can find a way to get it down…" Link said.  
"Won't it be easy to just cut the ropes?" Ruto asked.  
"That is the easy way out indeed, but there is the risk of the metal plate coming down wrong or otherwise fall in the lava, rendering it useless for us." Link said, moving to the other side of the area to a more numerous stack of crates.  
"So we must find another way to lower the plate then…" Zelda said.  
"Exactly. Considering the amount of ropes and how they are connected to the plate, makes me believe that a machine of some sort is keeping that plate up, so we need to find a switch to lower it." Link said.  
"There's a switch right here behind this wooden barrier." Zelda said.  
"Let's see if we can find an explosive around here that can be of help while at the same time allowing us to conserve precious ammo; I have a feeling we will be needing our bombs more than ever." Link said.  
"Wise idea." Saria said.

Hopping over several crates, Link eventually saw a bigger crate that led to a crevice to his left. It was too small for him to crawl through, but instead he settled for the use of a Bombchu to see what was behind the crevice. The Bombchu traveled past the debris and pillars and struck a crystal switch hidden behind one pillar, activating it to let a big chest appear on the area where the others stood. Opening it, Darunia discovered a Powder Keg, which he immediately used on the wooden barrier, destroying it in the process while Link returned to the group. Nabooru then hit the switch, which activated the device that lowered the metal plate and make it cover the gap precisely, the ropes still keeping it in place, creating a makeshift bridge that allowed the group to cross the lava ditch below. Immediately as they got close, the Armored Dinolfos dropped the crate and went to engage the heroes, while the Darknut, the armored foe wielding the big sword, remained in place for the time being. Believing that the Armored Dinolfos would be a test regarding things to come, Link first rolled around the Dinolfos and performed a Back Slice against its weak behind, causing it to yelp in pain as it was hit, before turning around to attempt to set Link ablaze with his Fire Breath. Saria intercepted and struck the lizard from behind, defeating it. This only left the Darknut as Zelda woke it with a Silver Arrow, making him move to the group to charge at them. Link intercepted this time and clobbered the Darknut with his shield, dazing it enough for him to perform the Helm Splitter, followed by subsequent strikes that also fragmented its armor as it sustained more and more damage, akin to the Iron Knuckles. After several more strikes, the Darknut lost all of its armor and, in rage, tossed its broadsword to the group, whom narrowly avoided it, before it drew a shorter sword to combat the group in a quicker speed. Zelda intercepted with a shield attack of her own before slashing the Darknut several times while it was dazed, with Impa coming to her aid. Impa and Zelda both managed to defeat the Darknut, despite the being putting up a fight itself.

With the fight over, the group was presented with a new puzzle, as the gate at one side was sealed shut, while in several crevices, there were floor switches available, four on each side.  
"Well, looks like we all partake in solving this puzzle." Link said as he moved to one floor switch, only to see something on it.  
"Hey, isn't this the symbol of one of the Medallions of yours?" He then asked, turning to the Sages.  
Blinking at this, they went to investigate.  
"Yes, I can see the symbol of the Water Medallion on this one." Ruto said, standing on it, to which the switch was pressed down… but nothing happened.  
"Let's check the others." Zelda said as the group went to check the other switches here.  
"I found the Spirit Symbol here." Link said on one of the switches on the other side.  
"I found one bearing the Forest Symbol." Impa said.  
"This one has a Triforce mark with the down-left triangle highlighted." Nabooru said.  
"I found one with the same mark, but now with the down-right triangle highlighted." Darunia said.  
"I found the Fire Symbol here." Rauru said.  
"Here's the Light one." Saria said.  
"And here's the Shadow one." Zelda herself said, blinking.  
"Well, time to check for the respective symbols and stand on the switches." Link said.  
Moving around so each of the group found the switches corresponding with their symbols and marks and stood on them to activate them, opening the gate.  
"Wow, that was quick." Ruto said as the group went off the switches, moving on to move through the opened gate, entering a corridor filled with stacks of crates around them.  
"Are they preparing an invasion?" Saria asked.  
"This is likely more like a giant storage facility… or perhaps this could be their main base!" Zelda said.

As the group made a u-turn through the corridor, they came across a regular Dinolfos, whom Ruto struck down with a single sword strike. Turning around the corner and entering a larger room, the group saw, to their shock, a second Darknut, coupled with an Eyegore and an Iron Knuckle standing in front of a path that led further down into the area.  
"How mean, to place the strongest henchmen here!" Ruto said.  
"Let's try the tactic we've used before back in the land between the Woods of Mystery and Ikana, taking them out one by one." Link said, before firing a Silver Arrow at the Darknut… only to find it blocked by a barrier, courtesy of another Barrier Wizrobe, whom had hidden itself behind a stack of crates on a higher level!  
"Hey, no fair!" Ruto said, pouting.  
"Looks like we need to circumvent around the area to lower the platform with the stack of crates to reach that Wizrobe." Impa said.  
"There's a crevice with a ladder that can perhaps be of help…" Zelda said.  
"Then let's not waste any time, let's go!" Link said, heading for the crevice, but just as he and the sages stood in the crevice and Link wanted to climb the ladder, the platform itself suddenly broke and fell down into a hole, taking Link and the Sages with it…

The group landed in a larger storage room, with numerous crates stacked against the wall, several placed on the ground and others suspended in the air by means of ropes being attached on it on every corner of the crate itself. This time the group landed on their feet as they slid down a tube at the end and rolled forward to prevent damage.  
"From one section into the other…" Nabooru said, nursing her feet for a second or two before getting up.  
"We've got company!" Impa then announced.  
Looking to their left, the group instantly spotted three more Armored Dinolfos, two Stalfos and two Assault Sword Soldiers on ground level. Three Assault Spear Soldiers stood on the crates suspended by the ropes, while at the top on the far side of the room stood a single Bomb Soldier. A crevice bearing another screw-stilted platform was guarded by a Skulltula. Ruto instantly took out the Skulltula using her own Bow and Arrows, moving on to explore the crevice that had the screw-stilted platform to see if there was anything of value, with Rauru backing her up.  
Link, Zelda and Saria engaged the Armored Dinolfos, using first the Helm Splitter each, while Impa, Nabooru and Darunia attacked the Assault Sword Soldiers, with Darunia providing a decent shield for the spears of the Assault Spear Soldier by using his rock-hard back to make the spears bounce off harmlessly, with Nabooru and Impa occasionally grabbing hold of such spears and tossing them back at the offending soldiers to damage them or intercepting other spears. Link then clobbered one of the Armored Dinolfos in the face using his Ball and Chain to knock it down, before rapidly moving in to perform the Ending Blow before the lizard creature had time to get up, instantly killing it. Saria and Zelda both used the Helm Splitter a second time, slashing away at the stunned Armored Dinolfos afterwards. Ruto used her Boomerang to lower the screw-stilted platform in place so she and Rauru could reach the higher placed platform, locating a set of rupees and a Business Scrub whom offered to sell Red Potion upon its defeat, which Ruto bought. Impa and Nabooru received a few sword slashes of their own while fighting the Assault Sword Soldiers, before Darunia grabbed the two and clobbered their heads against each other, crushing their helmets and defeating them in the process, while Link boldly climbed his way up the crates to engage the Assault Spear Soldiers, using his shield to intercept them before firing a Charged Silver Arrow to fire three at once, striking two of the Spear Soldiers which defeated them right away, while the third arrow intercepted a spear thrown by the last Assault Spear Soldier, to which Link responded by firing another single Silver Arrow at it, this time striking its mark, just as Ruto and Rauru aided Saria and Zelda with the remaining Armored Dinolfos. This eventually left the single Bomb Soldier at the top of the area, close to the ceiling, who was throwing bombs down a path similar to what a Bomb Soldier did back in the Tower of Light, much to the annoyance of Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru.  
"This one better not have any Barrier Wizrobes with it or so help me!" Link said, moving over the crates towards the stack where he could enter the path leading to the Bomb Soldier.  
"That bad?" Impa asked, blinking.  
"You have no idea. Back during us scaling the Tower of Light between Ikana and the Woods of Mystery, one of these pricks pulled the same act, throwing bombs down the path. It was protected by a Barrier Wizrobe, much to our annoyance…" Nabooru said, following Link with Zelda, Saria and Ruto in tow.

Much to Link's greater annoyance, there were gates that blocked his path, but fortunately there were blocks nearby to help him press the switch down, while at the same time using it as a platform to climb up to the higher path. But this left the danger of the Bombs as well as the steep paths. He grabbed the first block and proceeded to push it upward, hoping it would shield him from approaching bombs to a degree. However, it wasn't easy due to the steep path working against him, feeling as the block was trying to slide back to its position downstairs. Fortunately for Link, Nabooru, Zelda, Saria, Ruto and even Impa and Rauru came to his aid, with Darunia using a Fire Barrier to let the bombs detonate prematurely before helping the group as well. Eventually they managed to push the block onto the switch, opening the gate on the higher level and allowing them to climb further up to reach their target, only for a second block to be placed, forcing the group to repeat their previous action. Thankfully the Fire Barrier helped in blocking the Bombs for the most part, while Zelda casted Nayru's Love over the group to shield them from actual damage for the time being. Still, the massive teamwork of the entire group ensured that the second gate was opened like the first, allowing the group to finally engage and defeat the Bomb Soldier, before Link used a Nice Bomb to destroy the wooden barrier. This in turn allowed the group to proceed into the corridor, with Rauru activating a switch that opened the gate ahead and lowered the wooden platform with the crates on it to the ground. This allowed them to return to the area where the Eyegore, Darknut and Iron Knuckle were still standing, proceeding to engage them to lure the Barrier Wizrobe out. The Barrier Wizrobe was indeed lured out using a Silver Arrow courtesy of Zelda, before Link took the Wizrobe out in a single Jump Strike, leaving the Iron Knuckle, Eyegore and Darknut without their protector.

Now the battle began as the Iron Knuckle and Darknut went to engage the group, the Eyegore first trying to zap them with its laser before tossing rocks, only to be taken out instantly with a Silver Arrow fired by Saria, leaving only the two heavily armored foes to deal with. Link decided to engage the Darknut this time around, mostly to learn more about its battle pattern properly and finding ways to counter it, while at the same time luring it away from the Iron Knuckle to ensure he wouldn't be unexpectedly caught in a swing of its giant battle axe. Saria and Zelda went at his side right away to assist him, shortly followed by Ruto, while Nabooru aided Rauru, Darunia and Impa with the Iron Knuckle. The group's tactic of luring the two armored fiends away from each other to have proper room for battle was successful, although it was somewhat tedious due to their slow speed. Still, Link and his girlfriends engaged the Darknut, first stunning it with their shields before slashing away to break off its armor, while Nabooru used a form of deceptive hit and run tactics on the Iron Knuckle, taunting the behemoth into using its axe and using its momentum from it to rapidly sneak in a hit or two before backing off to prevent being struck with the axe. At the same time, Darunia prepared a few Nice Bombs to bring in additional damage, eventually leading to the Iron Knuckle losing part of its outer armor. The Darknut then tossed his giant broadsword away after losing its armor, with Link and Zelda narrowly avoiding decapitation as they dived out of the way in time. Both the Iron Knuckle and the Darknut had increased speed, but the group was for the most part much more agile and were still able to inflict damage, the Iron Knuckle was eventually slain by a Silver Light Arrow, while the Dark Nut got impaled on the Golden Swords from Link and Zelda both, defeating it as both fiends disintegrated in sheets of flame, finally letting the group through the path the armored fiends were blocking before.

"Whew, that was tough." Saria said.  
"Indeed, and I have a feeling that this is only the tip of the iceberg," Link said, "if this is supposedly their main base, we should expect more heavy resistance further on."  
"Oh dear…" Impa said, looking worried.  
It was then that Link grabbed something from his hammerspace bag, taking out a bottle of milk… but not just your ordinary milk…  
"Link? What are you doing?" Impa asked, seeing it as he handed out bottles to the others.  
"I'm going to ensure we have the means to fight them. I've been saving this up until now, but I feel that this will come into use more than ever." He said, handing a bottle to Impa.  
"I see, so what is this?"  
"This is a special kind of milk known as Chateau Romani. Whoever drinks it will be energized and have unlimited magic for the next three days after consuming it." Link said, opening his bottle after handing out the other bottles to the others.  
"For three days?!" Impa asked.  
"You bet. I've used it myself when I had to deal with the Stone Tower Temple and Majora himself a year ago. It works wonders I tell you." Link said, as the others opened up their bottles as well.  
"I see." Impa said, smiling.  
"Well, bottom's up." Link said, before gulping down the contents of his bottle completely in one serving, feeling the energy flowing through him right away, its mystical effects beginning to manifest within him.  
Saria and Zelda followed his example, both of them blinking for a moment as they felt the energy beginning to soar within their bodies through a gentle flow that eased their insides. Ruto and Nabooru also felt the milk refreshing their very beings, giving them the energy boost they needed, Rauru, Impa and Darunia were thinking along the same lines.  
"Say, this definitely is delicious." Impa said.  
"It is, isn't it?" Link asked, smiling.  
"Wow, I feel as if I have so much energy that I HAVE to burn it up!" Ruto said.  
"Trust me, you'll get your chance soon," Zelda said, "just make sure we are NOT on the receiving end, but the enemy is."  
"Don't worry, the enemies will be my target." Ruto said with a giggle.  
"Good." Zelda said, smiling.  
Darunia smirked.  
"This is probably the only time I've enjoyed something else other than those Sirloin Rocks found in Dodongo's Cavern." He said, giving the bottle back to Link who stored it back into his hammerspace bag, just like with the other bottles, before the group proceeded onward, over the bridge and entering yet another large storage room, filled with numerous crates around the area.  
"Wow, they really are prepared for an invasion or massive occupation!" Zelda said.  
"I'll say…" Link said, blinking.  
"Do you think we can put a stop to them?" Saria asked, just as several Assault Sword Soldiers came charging at the group.  
Without hesitation, the group engaged the Assault Sword Soldiers and it seemed they would have an easy victory, were it not for being pelted by Bombs courtesy of a Bomb Soldier standing on a higher area in the room. The group were in possession of stronger blades, allowing them to get rid of the Sword Soldiers with relative ease, despite continuously moving to avoid the incoming bombs.  
"These guys are really getting desperate now." Nabooru said.  
"I'll say, now we need to get up there…" Ruto said.  
"I'll go in first, that way I'll have that Soldier's attention regarding the bombs." Link said, moving to a crate to climb on top of it, hopping on a net to climb his way further upward, keeping the pace to remain out of the bombs' blast radius whenever they were dropped.

This proved effective as the Bomb Soldier did turn its attention to Link, tossing the bombs at him while Link just kept moving, the bombs missing him fortunately, despite some close calls. Link kept working his way further upward, dropping down once he reached the other side and climbed now on top of the net, moving onto it, only to be launched a bit further up as if he stood on a trampoline, making use of the momentum he gained to reach the second platform, before Ruto went after him, seeing as the Bomb Soldier was still distracted by Link. Making his way to the far side of the second area, Link then turned to face the Bomb Soldier…  
"What?! He's standing on a wobbling platform?!" Link asked, while using his shield to deflect the Bombs.  
"Then he obviously tried to get a greater view on us to strike at us." Zelda said.  
"Link, catch!" Ruto then said, tossing Link her Nice Boomerang.  
"Thanks, Ruto." Link said, catching the Nice Boomerang before hopping on the second net, being launched in the same fashion as with the first, before tossing the Nice Boomerang directly at the platform the Bomb Soldier stood on, causing it to break in pieces and making the Bomb Soldier fall on the ground, after which Link jumped on the platform and booted the Bomb Soldier to the ground floor, with Darunia catching the soldier and punched him high and far away using an uppercut, defeating it instantly.  
Link then handed the Nice Boomerang back to Ruto after she joined him on the higher platform where they waited for the others to join them.  
"That's the first time I've actually seen you kicking someone." Ruto said.  
"To be honest, it felt quite good." Link said, causing Ruto to giggle.

Once the rest of the group had joined the two on the higher floor, Link used another Nice Bomb to blow the wooden barrier away, giving the group access to the hallway further ahead.  
"Well, that's that for now…" Saria said.  
"Yeah, might as well rest up for a bit so we can nurse some injuries. While the Chateau Romani does give us infinite magic power for 3 days, we can still get injured or killed." Link said.  
"Point taken." Impa said as the group settled down for a moment.

Dark Link, Dark Saria, Dark Zelda and Dark Nabooru were still waiting for further orders in the tower, after killing off Sakon. They were soon joined by Dark Ruto, who looked just like Princess Ruto, but also with the dark gray to black skin color and the blood red eyes. She returned from having made the water in the tower poisonous, simply to add another hazard in case the group moved into the lair.  
"Do you think they will come here anytime soon?" Dark Saria asked.  
"Positively. Knowing them, they'll do whatever it takes to move into the lair of the Dark Lords and defeat them once and for all. They'll come across a big surprise once they get there." Dark Link said.  
"Indeed. By all accounts, we should have the advantage of being more deadly, considering how they seem to fight." Dark Nabooru said.  
"But we must not underestimate them at any level. They already managed to defeat Link and myself, so they are apparently aware of how we fight, just like how we are aware of how THEY fight." Dark Zelda said.  
"Hm. At least there can be different possibilities on the battle's outcome…" Dark Link said.  
"Indeed. It all depends on how the conditions are." Dark Saria said, nodding.


	46. Chapter 46: A trapped shot

_Chapter 46: A trapped shot_

After a few minutes rest, Link and the Sages got back up, moving onward down the hallway.  
"Wow, I wonder how much time it took for them to set this place up…" Ruto said.  
"Probably in the days when Agahnim was around," Impa said, "He must have taken his time with planning and everything, keeping his forces in check to make us believe that peace had finally come to our land."  
"That's a plausible possibility. Given his limited powers he had with Ganondorf being sealed, despite the possession of the Triforce of Power, he must have used this base as a stronghold for him to build up enough power to resurrect Majora in the first place." Zelda said.  
"I agree," Link said, "given the time he had and needed, he must have been thinking things through. Ganondorf may be evil, but he certainly isn't stupid; he knows when to take his chance, like how he tricked us to enter the Sacred Realm, creating the Future That Almost Was."  
"You got that right. You believe that he's done this again, but by lying in the shadows?" Rauru asked.  
"Ganondorf's smart enough for it; how else would he have used Majora to regain his true form? Apparently their mutual animosity for us is what drove them to make this alliance. Even though Majora only has a grudge against me since I defeated him, he obviously hates you too." Link said.  
"Either that, or Ganondorf could be looking for Majora's Mask as an additional power source to boost his own powers and prevent us from defeating him once more." Zelda said, just as the group entered the next room.

Entering the next room, the group would already see an Armored Dinolfos and a Stalfos ahead, which were soon joined by an Assault Spear Soldier and yet another Bomb Soldier, while in the distance a Floormaster could be seen in standing position. The Soldiers spotted the group immediately and went on the offensive, just as two Lizalfos, Sword Soldiers and a second Stalfos moved in the area, ready to attack. Without hesitation Link and the Sages went on the defensive, mostly to block the incoming spears and the charging Floormaster, before moving in to retaliate. Link killed the Floormaster in a single strike with his Golden Master Sword, with Zelda and Saria helping him in getting rid of the three smaller Floormasters, while Darunia kept the Stalfos occupied. Ruto used the Nice Boomerang to stun the Assault Spear Soldier, with Rauru and Impa providing cover to keep the Bomb Soldier and the Lizalfos occupied, while Nabooru engaged the Armored Dinolfos. Darunia's rock hard body was able to withstand several blows inflicted by the Stalfos before using several Fire Punches to break their skulls after their guard was lowered. Nabooru displayed great agility as she leapt over the Dinolfos to strike at it with the Helm Splitter, before using a Golden Sword Spark to knock the Bomb Soldier off the crate it stood on, giving Rauru, Ruto and Impa the opportunity to deal with the Assault Spear Soldier properly. Link, Saria and Zelda came to their aid after destroying the tiny Floormasters and defeated the Lizalfos in turn, before engaging the Bomb Soldier as it recovered. Nabooru joined in after breaking through the Dinolfos' armor and decapitating it in the process, although she got a slash in her arm during a failed attempt to perform another Helm Splitter. Once the Bomb Soldier was slain however, two hatches at the wall ahead opened up and two Aeralfos flew out of it, ready to engage the group. This forced the group to switch to their Clawshots in order to pull the creatures towards them and strike at them using their swords, although one of them managed to hit Ruto on the shoulder. Although they were tougher, the Aeralfos were hardly able to fight back once the group put pressure on them with their own blades, causing the two lizards to eventually be defeated more quickly than the group's first encounter with them back in the snowy mountain. There was no time to rest however, since as soon as the Aeralfos were defeated, the gate to the left side of the room opened and TWO Darknuts came out of it, moving in to engage the group. The group retaliated using their Helm Splitter techniques, while at the same time remaining wary of the giant broadswords that the two Darknuts carried with them, being sure that they wouldn't be hit by them as their armor was removed from them piece by piece. Their upgraded blades were of excellent help to the group, being sure to inflict as much damage as possible before the stunning effect courtesy of the group's shields wore off for the time being. Once the two Darknuts' armor was annihilated and their broadswords tossed away, the group had an easier time in dealing with them, with Link and Saria using a Great Spin in order to get in as much damage as possible, before the Darknuts were eventually defeated.

Once the two Darknuts were defeated, the gate lifted up again as it had closed up once the Darknuts were in the same room as the group, allowing the group to pass.  
"Are you alright?" Link asked Ruto and Nabooru.  
"We're fine, it's not as bad as it looks." Nabooru said, nodding as the group moved on in the dark corridor, only for another eerie sound of something approaching coming on.  
However, since the area was dark, the group couldn't exactly see where it was, only for Link and Saria both to suddenly scream as they were suddenly lifted up from the ground, vanishing from sight, only to be unceremoniously dropped back into the room they had just fought the group of enemies in! Thankfully the remaining Sages came to them right away to see if they were alright, only to see Link comforting Saria, whom looked as if she had seen a ghost.  
"That does it; those Wallmasters are going to get it this time!" Zelda said, just as Saria calmed down enough to proceed once more to the dark corridor.  
"Let's go." Link said, moving on.  
This time the group kept moving, making the Wallmaster miss its target and allowing Saria to exact revenge on it on her and Link's behalf by slaying the Wallmaster in a single strike, before the group arrived in a room where there was a higher platform that they couldn't climb on unless they lowered a plank with crates on it to ground level that acted as a stairway, this plank being moved in the air through a crystal switch by a Sword Soldier, locking himself in through a gate. There was a small hole in the side of the wall at the far side of the room where the Sword Soldier was, which had a curve moving to the left. While the hole was too small for the children in the group to crawl through, it was more than enough for a certain weapon to travel into the room…  
"Time for a Nice Bombchu…" Link said, picking one up.  
"Is there a difference with the Normal Bombchus, other than the damage of course?" Zelda asked.  
"I think it could have a longer range or that we can control its directions, I'm not sure…" Link said as he picked one up, putting it into the hole, after which it began to track down its target, first being the Crystal Switch.  
The Crystal Switch was hit, activating and through this lowering the platform with the crates, only for the Sword Soldier to come to the switch and hit it again, deactivating it and raising the platform because of it.  
"Okay, you're in for it now." Link said, launching another Nice Bombchu, moving in the same direction… only for it to switch targets and chase directly after the Sword Soldier before detonating, defeating the Sword Soldier instantly. Now Link used a THIRD Nice Bombchu, which this time hit the Crystal Switch as well. Now it was staying activated, allowing the group to climb up the crates and onto a higher floor. This awakened another Armored Dinolfos and an Assault Spear Soldier, whom were protected by yet ANOTHER Barrier Wizrobe.  
"These freaks are really pissing me off!" Link said.  
"I hear you on that. Good thing we can take them out quicker than before!" Zelda said, firing a Silver Light Arrow at the Barrier Wizrobe, killing it instantly.  
This left only the Assault Spear Soldier and the Armored Dinolfos, both of them being slain quickly with the Ending Blow performed on the Spear Soldier, while the Helm Splitter was used on the Armored Dinolfos, allowing the group to strike it in the back to eventually defeat it.

Relieved, the group moved to explore the area, spotting another Wooden Barrier a bit high on the wall nearby. Using a Nice Bombchu, Link destroyed it, revealing a large tube leading downward. At the same moment, Darunia discovered some rupees that he took along, before the group went inside the tube one after the other, each of them sliding down into another room further down, where another Armored Dinolfos confronted them, although he was swiftly defeated thanks to a well-aimed Helm Splitter courtesy of Nabooru. However, the group was faced with another problem; the path they had to cross over had spears flying over it at random intervals, with the path itself being a large plank that was placed over a small ditch of lava. This lava was something that Darunia could walk through, but would be less pleasant for the others, especially Ruto.  
"Now what?" Zelda asked.  
"There's a large block out here, but what is it for?" Link asked.  
"We should check it out first before we act…" Rauru said.  
"But why are these soldiers tossing their spears for? We're nowhere near them!" Saria said.  
Link moved closer to see what was happening with those soldiers.  
"Wait, what? Are we in a shooting gallery or something?" Link then asked.  
"Huh?" Ruto asked.  
"Check it out; these soldiers are tossing spears at these wooden targets with badly drawn images of what's supposed to be us, but I'm also seeing such images of Ganondorf and Majora…" Link said, observing the targets rail.  
"How do you know this is a shooting gallery?" Saria asked.  
"I've seen similar rails in the Shooting Gallery in Hyrule Castle Town and Kakariko Village, which transported Rupees over them to be shot by the player." Link casually explained.  
"But why are they doing this for?" Ruto asked.  
"Obviously this must be some kind of training center, as if these soldiers are being trained to improve their aiming and targeting skills and see if they can hit the right targets at the right time." Zelda said.  
"I'm inclined to agree," Nabooru said, "We have similar concepts in our Training Ground and the Horseback Range in our Fortress in the Desert area."  
"Now we need to see where we can go first though…" Impa said.  
"I'll handle this." Darunia said, moving through the lava as he was resistant to it, keeping his head down to avoid the spears.  
The others waited, although Link did proceed to move the block he saw in the proper position, before Ruto used her Nice Boomerang to strike at another screw-stilted platform, lowering the platform and making a crevice with a chest available to the group. Nabooru went to check out the chest, opening it to find some additional ammunition for the weapons the group carried.  
"Finally some supplies." She said, smiling as she took some of the weapons to hand over to the others.

Darunia returned in less than a minute to the group, still avoiding the incoming spears and arrows as he noticed some Corrupted Bow Soldiers have joined them.  
"There's a switch at the far side of the area that's too big to be pressed down by any of the statues from the Elegy of Emptiness; it needs the block." He said.  
"Alright then," Link said, getting ready, "at least we know where to take it."  
"I'll go on ahead to direct you ahead; those arrows and spears will be quite a bother if you 're not careful." Darunia said, moving back to the far side of the path through the lava, while Link got ready to push the block onward, with Zelda, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru coming to his aid. Impa and Rauru worked together to protect the group's sides by intercepting any arrows and spears that came their way.  
"I really appreciate your help, girls." Link said, smiling.  
"No problem at all. We're all in this together after all." Saria said as Darunia gave the signal for them to push the block onward.

As the group moved onward, pushing the block onward carefully, while stopping at certain spots to rest up and let some spears and arrows pass by before continuing on when it was safe to continue, being out of the firing lines wherever possible.  
"Talk about… a challenging puzzle…" Link said as he pushed on.  
"I'll say… as if they… are really trying… to stop us… in desperation." Zelda said, grunting.  
"Yeah," Saria said, pushing with her might. "we must have gotten something… really… big if they go… this far."  
After about a minute or two, which felt like an hour or so, the group were relieved of their pushing duty when Darunia aided them by taking it over for them, pushing it onto the switch and opening the gate, just as Impa and Rauru arrived at where the others were. Now they could enter the room which was not only a shooting gallery, but also an armory as numerous weapons were stored in that room! Immediately the group was attacked by the resident Assault Sword, Assault Spear and Bow Soldiers, giving the group another fierce battle as the Soldiers were fighting with great vigor, despite the group having more superior weaponry. The Bow Soldiers were easily taken out by the Silver Arrows in a single shot, while the Assault Spear Soldiers were a bit more difficult to hit head on due to the arrows occasionally intercepting the incoming spears, although the Assault Spear Soldiers went eventually down in one strike as well. The Assault Sword Soldiers were more of a hassle due to them practically charging at the group, although Zelda did successfully pull off a Mortal Draw against one of them, right before Link knocked another one down before performing the Ending Blow, defeating it. Once the Sword Soldiers were also taken out however, the block that once held the switch was taken away through the ground, lowering the gate and trapping the group in the firing range, with the only holes available to them being the ones that looked at the rail that carried the targets over continuously.  
"What the-?! We're trapped!" Saria said, trying to open up the main gate by force.  
"Great, now what are we going to do?!" Ruto said.  
"Attention, soldiers," a voice then sounded, obviously having the authority of a commanding officer, "Ganondorf and Majora, our masters, are not pleased; Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Darunia, Impa and Rauru are still alive!"  
"So they know who we are…" Nabooru said, narrowing her eyes.  
"As long as you don't know how to shoot, you will remain trapped in the firing range until you do. Now, practice!" The voice said, before it ceased.  
"Well, looks like we have a job to do then." Link said, grabbing his bow and standing in the center shooting range, while Saria and Zelda took up positions to his left and right.  
"I wonder how long this will take…" Ruto said.  
"Probably until each of us has met a specific criteria…" Nabooru said, sighing as she waited her turn.

The boat which was led by Reimu and Leia finally arrived at the mountain area, where they saw the boat that Link and the Sages used to reach the island docked at the pier, with the male civilian and two Gorons with it.  
"What? Gerudo?" The male asked.  
"Don't be afraid, we're here to help you fight against the forces of Evil and assist the true heroes of this land." Reimu said.  
"I see." The male said.  
"Alright, ladies, move out and follow the trail that our allies have gone through first. I want status reports on the situations around here and report back to me the minute you have discovered their locations!" She said.  
"Yes, ma'am!" The Gerudo said as they moved out right away, some of them moving to stand by the escaped prisoners to protect them, others went in groups to patrol the area, following the trail that the group had set out before.  
The male civilian blinked at this.  
"Wow, I must say that I honestly didn't expect this to see, no offense." He said.  
"You mean us Gerudo helping you out? Well, I honestly don't blame you for that; we haven't exactly got the best of reputations out here. However, the atrocious actions performed by our supposed 'king' Ganondorf and his accomplice Majora has led us to turn against him. Heck, he even caused a civil war among us." Reimu said.  
"What? How is that even possible?!" The man asked.  
"Well, one side of the Gerudo wish to remain with Hyrule's Royal Family's good graces, especially since the exalted Nabooru, our current leader, is friends with the Hyrulean Princess Zelda as well as beings from other races. The other side however consists mostly out of those Gerudo who were openly joining Ganondorf and Majora or otherwise brainwashed in doing so. I regrettably was in that brainwashed camp once, until my younger sister, with the aid of some of Nabooru's personal friends, liberated me and my comrades who were with me at the time. Ever since I've been performing acts to help out refugees and other victims as a partial wish to repent myself for the crimes I committed during my brainwashed state." Reimu replied.  
"Hey, you couldn't do anything against that; he made you do it, right?" One of the Gorons said.  
"It is true that, because I was brainwashed, I was forced to do Ganondorf's bidding. Yet I can't help to feel responsible for what I have caused, so I chose this route in order to repent myself and show everyone that I am no longer with Ganondorf's camp. The only good thing is that every Gerudo whom have been liberated from Ganondorf's side so far have defected to the side of the good guys, fighting against their former superiors in this fashion."  
"I understand." The male civilian said, nodding.

Link, Saria and Zelda managed to get their quota of shots after the holes they had to shoot through to strike their targets closed up, making them leave the area, before Ruto, Nabooru and Impa went to the firing range, taking the bows and arrows from the weapon racks where needed. The three children sat down on a nearby bench where they waited for the others to complete their jobs. Link put his head on his hands, sighing.  
"What's the matter?" Zelda asked, worried.  
"I don't know… for some reason I feel that we all will be facing death itself once more. I'm not stopping now, but to think that this could very well be the last time we're facing our nemeses…" Link said.  
"I see where you're coming from. Apparently our first actual deaths must have impacted you a lot more than originally anticipated." Saria said, looking sad herself.  
"It has, as if the whole thing gave me some kind of reality check… and yet I feel that those two will be stopped somehow…" Link said.  
"So, what do we do now?" Zelda asked.  
"I say we simply stick together and fight our enemies together. By all accounts, we're going to need each other a lot more soon. Once the battle has finally been won, we can finally go and take some time off to relax properly."  
"I agree, but where do you want to relax then?" Saria asked.  
"Perhaps moving to Lake Hylia or the Great Bay seem good enough for me, but I'm always open for suggestions from you lot. As long as it's a place where we can do things we WANT to do, I'm okay with it." Link said with a smile as he rested.  
Saria and Zelda both smiled.  
"We both agree with you on that." Zelda said, while Darunia and Rauru waited their turns.  
"I wonder what we can find here for the rest…" Saria then said.  
"Since this is obviously their main base, it must be something of great importance. Perhaps the final generator to the tower's barrier is here even, so we need to find that one and disable it before we can make our way to the Tower. We should probably expect heavy resistance, so we need to be geared up properly." Link said, just as Rauru and Darunia took their turns once Ruto, Impa and Nabooru were done.  
"That was quite tedious I tell you; those effigies of us give us points, while the effigies of Ganondorf and Majora do the opposite!" Ruto said.  
"Well, this IS meant to be the bad guy's training center after all, so it's logical that this was meant for them." Nabooru said.  
"You got me there. For a moment I thought I only had to shoot those effigies of our enemies." Ruto said.  
"I made that same mistake too," Link said, "it would make sense though, since it's also meant to trick us in a way…"  
"True, although they weren't subtle; we would have found out what to do quickly enough." Nabooru said.  
Link nodded at this.  
"I do am puzzled by the fact that the enemies here aren't bothered by the heat…" Ruto then said.  
"They must have either adapted to it or have some heat-resistant armor, like what the Goron Tunics are for us." Link said.  
"Both are indeed credible possibilities, given our nemeses' resourcefulness and their powers on top of that." Zelda said.  
"Indeed, they definitely aren't stupid at all. While their actions are not exactly the smartest, I have to admit that they definitely can plan things ahead and catch us off-guard. Although there is a potential weakness in their alliance…" Link said.  
"And what would that be?" Saria asked.  
"Given their respective behaviors, Majora is the exact opposite of what Ganondorf does. Sure, both are evil and everything, but where Ganondorf wishes for power to rule the world, thus wanting the True Triforce, Majora simply doesn't give a rat's behind and only craves for destruction, although the Skull Kid's influences could make him a bit more of someone who can indulge in psychological warfare as well." Link said.  
"Psychological? What do you mean?" Impa asked.  
"The whole 'messing with one's mind' thing. I'm not talking about being brainwashed, it's more about rhetorical questions that can really make one think about things. Majora's illusion on the Moon tried this on me in relation to the masks that I had with me at the time." Link replied.  
"I remember you mentioning something about that when you told us about it all those months ago." Nabooru said, blinking.  
"Yes. But it didn't deter me to finally show Majora his place…" Link said.  
"And that's a good thing…" Zelda said, smiling.  
Just then, Darunia and Rauru were finally done with their targets, the satisfaction being that the gates finally opened for them, allowing the group to finally progress throughout the area. Getting up, the group gathered together once more and moved into a wooden corridor. Following a curve to the right, the group hopped down to a lower level, moving further on.  
"Well, there's no turning back here now either." Ruto said.  
"Indeed. But once we find our way around, we'll find a way out." Link said, smiling.  
"Is it me or is it getting warmer all of a sudden?" Saria asked.  
"It is getting warmer Saria," Nabooru said, "we must be approaching an area where there's plenty of lava directly around."  
"Feels like that lava outpost all over again." Zelda said.  
"You can say that again. It's a good thing that these Goron Tunics are pretty much life-savers in such areas." Link said.  
"That's what we all can agree on." Darunia said as the group moved on, following along the path towards an exit with a red glow at the far side of it…


	47. Chapter 47: The Last Generator

_Chapter 47: The Last Generator_

Link and the Seven Sages entered a very large room, filled with lava around them, with the only suitable paths to walk on being crates that somehow floated in the lava, although some sank and rose from the lava in an alternating pattern, of where one would rise and the other would sink and where the one would sink, the other would rise and so on. Looking around, the group could see that the room was one big machinery contraption, with platforms moving on and on over a set of rails, conveyor belts on a higher floor, retracted ladders and even two poles that extended from a shaft in the ceiling all the way down into the lava. Oddly enough, the lava here seemed partially transparent, while the red-patterned surface made it obvious it was hazardous. This time however, it was hazardous even for Darunia, since it would make him sink into it in case he would fall in it, it was THAT deep. Link wiped some sweat from his forehead, indicating it was indeed incredibly hot. While the group had the advantage of the Goron Tunic making them somewhat heat-resistant, they were still not out of danger or being otherwise unaffected by the heat. There were visible safe platforms further up the building, almost as if the room itself consisted of multiple floors of a building, yet the seemingly haphazard construction, the lack of guard rails, stairways and the numerous hazards alongside would make it either ideal for extensive training for enemy forces or have a construction site that one would want to fire, apprehend and sue the architect of the contraption for even designing such a lethal area that could harm any unsuspecting traveler. It wouldn't make use as a living area at all, just like a facility for troops to watch over the machinery around.  
"What is this place?!" Zelda asked.  
"It's obviously meant for transportation of materials and everything, or otherwise aid in the production of the weaponry that the enemy forces are going to use in the full scale invasion and occupation of our lands." Link said.  
"Indeed. Or they could be utilizing the lava around here for something…" Darunia said.  
"So, how do we make our way up here?" Saria asked.  
"There's a ladder close by, but that's beyond our reach." Nabooru said.  
"Looks like we need to cross the path of crates to the other side of the room to see if we can make it through there." Ruto said.  
"But watch your step on those sinking and rising ones." Rauru said.  
"We should take turns following the pattern of those platforms." Impa suggested.  
"Great idea. That way we won't knock each other off of the platforms or slip up." Zelda said, as she saw Link already moving on his way, carefully studying the pattern and timing his jumps between platforms with caution, following him as the second one to go.  
Impa couldn't help but maintain an expression of concern on her face as she watched Link and Zelda go, soon followed by Saria, Ruto and then Nabooru, before she went on next. It was as if there was a continuous sense of tension around, she couldn't explain why, but the whole area seems so out of place, with all those devices working while having pipes and whatnot going in the lava… perhaps there were some lava-resistant materials after all…

It took Link about a minute or so to cross the rising and sinking platforms to the other side of the room with care, now standing on one that remained safely surfaced above the lava, while a ladder was attached to it, leading to a higher floor.  
"Well, here goes nothing." He said as he began to climb the ladder, moving towards a higher platform where he was immediately being confronted by a single Bomb Soldier, whom Link took out with a Silver Bomb Arrow before he could do any actual harm, hopping over to the platform on the other side where he waited for the others. Zelda arrived shortly after he made it up there.  
"This is going to be quite a climb, won't it?" She asked.  
"Yes, it will," Link replied while trying to get the pattern of the moving platforms on the rails down while Saria climbed up, "and given how complex this room is, it won't be easy."  
Zelda nodded.  
"So, how do you think we should cross this?" She then asked.  
"If I'm not mistaken, these rails are carrying platform in a constant alternating fashion between large and small. Given that we must travel in the opposite direction of where these platforms are going, this won't be easy, especially when you have these things in your path…" Link said, pointing to cylindrical tubes that stuck out from one machine directly above the platforms. Each of the tubes had holes on every side, while the inside part of it was glowing red-hot, being made more obvious by the constant jets of steam which came from the end part of the tube itself. Zelda, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru each took a peek at where Link was pointing at, seeing what he meant.  
"Oh, man. As if things weren't difficult for us enough already." Ruto said.  
Studying the pattern carefully, Link eventually hopped on one of the larger platforms, before hopping on a smaller that appeared from below the first tube, before he hopped over the tube itself to another large platform. He didn't stop however, as the platforms were still moving and any collision with the tubes could send him back onto the floating path or even in the lava itself! He repeated this procedure as he went on, although he yelped a little as he came a bit too close to the second tube, nearly burning his hands on the red-hot pipe, while also nearly burning his rear as he narrowly hopped over an edge of the big platform and landing on a short one, before immediately hopping over to a larger one to get some space between him and that red-hot metal tube.

Zelda on her turn was happy that she wasn't wearing her Royal Dress in favor of her Goron Tunic at the time, mostly because she was afraid that her dress would either get stuck on one of the pipes and make her get stuck or fall down into the lava below, or otherwise catch fire due to the immense hot temperature that the tubes emanated. Ruto in particular was the most nervous of the group, although some reassurance from Saria and Nabooru gave her the courage to proceed herself as well, imitating Link's behavior of studying the pattern and above all thinking before leaping, primarily to time the jumps carefully to prevent being burnt alive. Of course Darunia had lesser problems in dealing with the heat, but remained cautious nonetheless. Even a warned Goron counts for two.

Link finally managed to reach the ladder on the far side of the area again, but as he climbed it, a section of the ladder extended itself all the way to the ground floor.  
"Great, NOW you decide to make a shortcut for us? It will at least save us some trouble in the future…" Link said in dismay, before climbing his way up to the next level of the room, once more waiting until the others had arrived. It was as if Link was upholding a policy of 'no one gets left behind'.  
"I'm more surprised by how stable everything here is." Zelda said as she climbed up the ladder herself, while Link made room for her to stand on, spotting several metal rooms ahead, of which one had its entrance opened and available as a platform for the group to move onto.  
"I'll say. I have to give it to them, they sure know how to design something." Link said, nodding in agreement as Saria climbed the ladder to join them.  
As Link made room by hopping on the opened door of the first metal room, a second door lowered itself, revealing a Bow Soldier! Link was quick and fired a Silver Arrow which intercepted the arrow fired by the Bow Soldier, before firing a second Arrow that defeated the Bow Soldier instantly, its body falling in the lava below, sinking rapidly until it was gone. Link gulped at this, feeling uncomfortable, while the others arrived shortly with Zelda joining Link.  
"What's up?" Zelda asked.  
"It sickens me to witness someone falling in the lava like that." Link said.  
"Better avert your eyes next time." Zelda said, patting Link on the back.  
"Thanks, I will." Link said, smiling as the two advanced, this time confronted by an Assault Spear Soldier who came out of a similar cage like the Bow Soldier.  
Zelda and Link both worked together to defeat it with their Silver Arrows, looking away as the Spear Soldier met the same fate as the Bow Soldier. Moving on, the two hopped on the second opened door, when the third one opened and revealed a Mad Scrub, whom began to spit its Deku Nuts at the two. Deflecting them with the shields, Link and Zelda then retaliated with a single Silver Arrow, instantly defeating the Mad Scrub, whom did not fall in the lava this time. But as the two moved on top of the larger platform this time, they were given a nasty surprise by the appearance of a Cannon Soldier, whom immediately fired a Spiked Cannonball towards them, striking the two in the stomach area, causing them to land against what appeared to be a console-like affair or more akin to a control center to control the machinery. The Cannon Soldier however wasn't given the chance to strike again as it was immediately killed by a Silver Arrow courtesy of Saria. At this moment, Link and Zelda managed to get the Cannonball off of them, both of them having pain in their chest and back areas, as well as having bleeding wounds from their arms from where the spikes of the cannonball punctured through their skin.  
"That was…" Link began.  
"…incredibly cheap!" Zelda said, both of them grunting as Saria, Ruto and Nabooru helped them up, with Impa administering some Red Potion to them to help them in recover some of the wounds more rapidly.  
"That was also new; I've never seen one of those Soldiers before…" Impa said, blinking, while Nabooru went to a large switch that had a handle on it, indicating it had to be pushed or pulled in order to activate something.  
Grabbing hold of the handle, Nabooru pulled with her might, but was so far unable to move the switch.  
"Man, either this thing is rusty… or incredibly tough!" She said through clenched teeth.  
Both Link and Zelda went to aid her, soon followed by Saria and Ruto, but they were unable to pull the switch.  
"I'll give it a shot." Darunia said, taking advantage of his strength to pull the switch this time successfully, activating a contraption that began to lower platforms in a left-right alternating fashion from the two metal bars that stuck out of a shaft in the ceiling all the way down into the lava.  
"Well, looks like this is similar to that platform stairway we had back in that abandoned Temple." Link said.  
"Yes, but now these platforms are moving…" Saria noted.  
"They are the least of our worries, Saria; what is likely going to be a bother are those conveyor belts." Link said, nodding to the conveyor belts which not only moved in the opposite direction of where they had to go, but also had gratings in pipes on one side that sprayed jets of steam at regular intervals, likely capable of inflicting serious pain if not careful.  
"What in the name of my father is this? A room filled with complex machinery or an elaborate obstacle course?!" Zelda asked, blinking at where Link was nodding to.  
"Looks like both of them to me." Ruto said, while Link got ready to cross the conveyor belt, trying to find a pattern between the steam jets being sprayed for accessing the area proper.

Once again going one after the other, Link and the Sages managed to cross the first conveyor belt without much hinder, reaching the platforms that were constantly lowering themselves into the lava from the ceiling, forcing the group to hop from platform to platform to make their way up towards the second conveyor belt, which led them towards a more safer path that was apparently part of the top floor of the room as a whole, considering they were now close to the ceiling. Once at the safe area, the group went to rest, although they were wary as there was a lack of guard rails in the room itself. Despite this, they had a clear overview of the room itself.  
"I feel funny under my feet." Ruto said.  
"Must be because of our current altitude and the view we have of the rest of the room, as well as the imminent danger of falling down." Darunia said.  
"Look, there's a platform at the far side of the room near the ceiling!" Saria then said.  
"Hopefully that must contain the door for us to proceed to the next area." Link said, looking to where Saria saw it.  
"That platform has grating alongside of it. Perhaps that's the only safe area?" Nabooru said.  
"Very likely. I just hope we can reach it in one piece." Link said, spotting another set of moving platforms which were headed, fortunately, in the right direction, allowing the group to use them to advance towards that safe platform.  
Saria gulped a little, but regained her composure as she saw Link boldly using the platforms to his advantage, timing his jumps with care once more. With the prospect of being able to reach safety and leave the room as a whole was something she could look forward to.

Reimu and Leia's troops in the meantime discovered the trail that the group used to snowboard down and through the whole mountain area, intending to follow it to ensure they would reach them in time for assistance. However Reimu advised the use of a new craft that could make the search easier. Created from the remains of the boats and airships that they could salvage from the Great Bay area, the Gerudo had taken these craft with them aboard their ship as cargo in order to ease the search for when the time was right. Now it was time to put these craft to use as in the overall areas they searched, no trace of the group was found other than what remained of the slain enemies which did not disintegrate, as well as the burnt remains of the supposedly hidden back-up power generator.  
"Holy Toledo," One of the Gerudo said, after observing the burning remains of the generator, "somebody had fun!"  
"I'll say," a second Gerudo said, joining her, "they really had a blast."  
"Geez…" a third one said.  
"There's no time to waste though; we have to bring our report to our leader, now that we have a clue of where the group has been so far." The first Gerudo said.  
"Right. Let's hope we can find them in time before all hell breaks loose." The second one said, before the three left to look for Reimu in order to report their findings and give her intel on where the group has gone to after observing their tracks, this being notable by traces of snow floating in the air, which was apparently the location of the at first invisible platforms in the air.

Once Link and the Seven Sages landed on a grating that stuck out from the main platform itself, they took one last look around the room, before entering the safe path. But no sooner had they entered the path itself completely, when the grating behind them rose, locking them in the area. A gate at the far side opened, revealing a single Darknut, who went to engage the heroes.  
"Alright, time to get some action again." Saria said, firing a Silver Arrow at the Darknut… only for it to be blocked by yet another Barrier Wizrobe!  
At this point, Link lost his temper for a moment and with a precisely timed jump attack, he cleaved the Barrier Wizrobe in two, allowing the others to focus on the Darknut while the Wizrobe's remains disintegrated, allowing Link to assist his friends in the fight against this tough enemy. However, the fight was made difficult due to the limited space the group could move in, as well as there were two crates standing at the far top right and the far down left corner of the platform itself. While those platforms could be used to hide behind or gain some leverage against the Darknut, it still remained quite hazardous to confront the behemoth as its broadsword swung once to the left, almost cutting of Zelda's scalp had she not ducked in time, before she used her Shield attack to stun it. This allowed Saria to perform the Helm Splitter on the behemoth, before Link aided Zelda by repeatedly slashing at the stunned Darknut before it recovered, despite losing bits of its armor along the way. Darunia clobbered the Darknut with a barrage of Goron Fire Punches, which proved to be very effective as more parts of the armor were punched off with great force, before the Darknut was now armor-less and tossed his broadsword away in favor of its more rapier-styled blade, which by itself increased its speed as it also had no shield available to defend itself against the incoming attacks of the group itself. Still, the Darknut managed to knock the sword out of Link and Saria's hands for a brief moment, before slashing at them, which effectively delivered a cut in their faces, while Zelda had a stab wound in her arm and Ruto had a slash would across her right arm. Nabooru pushed Link and Saria out of harm's way, bringing them in reach of their swords, but she could not prevent the Darknut from striking her in the side, causing Nabooru to scream in pain. In retaliation, Nabooru's eyes then glowed orange for a brief moment, before stabbing the Darknut in the stomach area with her right hand, extracting a sphere from him which had an eerie glow to it, as if it was made of magic or energy, before heaving it high in the air, and squashed it with a loud *SPLAT*, causing the Darknut to recoil in pain, although it recovered. However, this brief moment allowed Saria to constrict the behemoth with her vines, leaving the Darknut struggling to cut through its defenses, before she and Link picked up their Golden Swords to perform a Dual Helm Splitter, critically damaging it in the process. It was then that Nabooru held her hands in front of her, gathering a bit of energy from herself as well as Link and the remaining Sages, almost like a miniature Spirit Bomb, before launching it at the Darknut, finally obliterating it into nothingness. This allowed the group to properly recuperate, just as the gate where the Darknut itself came from before opened up again, this time showing an empty corridor which obviously meant that the group had to go through. Taking some sips for the Red Potion they had left, the group relaxed for a moment to let it take effect to let the worst wounds stop bleeding, before moving on through the corridor.  
"I swear, these sudden surprises are really not the things I like." Link said.  
"I'll say. Especially in such a confined room…" Zelda said.  
"Well, let's see what we can find here…" Saria said as the group traveled onward through the corridor.

Traveling onward, the group came eventually across a set of pipes that ran through the corridor, crossing over or otherwise following along the path. Hopping from the path to a lower section, the group eventually came across a room that was like a large tube by itself, with platforms being moved over rails to the right, with the platforms being held on the rails through ropes. To the right, the path was blocked by constant jets of steam that was potent enough to lambast anyone who would come close to it or even touch it. To the left, the path was completely free and available to be explored, but this meant having to jump from platform to platform. On ground level however were several pots and chests that the group could use. Hopping down to the ground level, the group went to open the chests, discovering some additional supplies for their weapons and medications, like arrows, bombs, Red Potion and even a Green Potion. The Pots however contained Red Fairies, which instantly went to heal the group upon close approach, restoring the group in effect back to full health.  
"Wow, that sure felt good after those battles." Ruto said.  
"I have a feeling they were here for a reason, other than to heal us…" Link said.  
"You think we have gotten close to the area where the one in charge is?" Zelda asked.  
"Possibly, or otherwise something that could be of similar great significance." Link said, waiting until the others had gathered their supplies.  
"Wow, I wonder what it will be this time…" Saria said, looking around.  
"There is only one way to find out." Ruto said.  
"Indeed. Let's hope it will be something that will allow us to progress." Nabooru said, as Link climbed up the ladder back to the main platform the group had stood on upon entering the area, looking to carefully jump on the moving platforms to cross the area carefully and prevent being burnt to cinders by the steam jets behind him.

The trip itself went tediously slow, mostly due to the platforms constantly moving to the opposite direction, but the group was making progress, although Ruto and Impa missed one platform, causing them to slide back down to the beginning where the pots and chests were. Still, it was of no consequence as they could simply try it again, with Link using his Bow and Arrows to take out two Assault Spear Soldiers that were trying to block the group's path or at least hinder them in some fashion, before he proceeded to continue on his way towards another path to the left, as another set of pipes emitting constant jets of steam was blocking his path directly ahead, giving him not much of a choice. He waited for the others once he had landed on the path itself, which led into a dark corridor. The others arrived in total after a few minutes, as a couple of others made a few mishaps along the way. Even though Link himself has made it in one go, even he had moments where he nearly lost his balance during almost miscalculated landings on the platforms. He was happy that Saria and Zelda could join him quickly, followed by Nabooru and Darunia, later on followed by Ruto, Impa and finally Rauru.  
"Whew, it wasn't easy, but we made it." Ruto said, earning a playful pat on the back from Saria.  
"Wait, do you guys and girls hear that?" Link then asked, hearing something as he put a listening ear deeper into the corridor.  
"It sounds like heavy machinery being operated." Impa said.  
"But what is it for a contraption?" Zelda asked her attendant.  
"Only one way to know for sure…" She said, as the group made their way down the corridor.

Exiting the corridor, the group could hear the sounds of the machinery coming closer as they entered a room that was again filled with lava around them with platforms in the middle… coupled with a gentle bridge leading to the center platform. But what made the group stop was the machine ahead… It looked like a complicated contraption, with twin doors on either side of the machine's upper path, a wheel that was similar to the wheel of fortune things the group had seen on funfairs as well as in Termina, being modeled after the Clock Tower's design, even though it had images of enemies on it. There was also a bar in the center that had an unlit light at the top and an obvious target with a blood-red gemstone in its center. In the center itself stood something that resembled a large cannon, while four Cannon Soldiers were standing on the higher path, aiming at the group itself. A humming/droning sound was heard, which indicated the machine was powering something for sure.  
"Is this what I think it is?" Nabooru asked.  
"Yep, this must be the last generator." Link said as he entered the main platform, while the enemies surprisingly remained docile for the time being.  
As he took his position, the Sages moved to stand in a row, narrowing their eyes at the machine. It was then that a *THUD* was heard, followed by a bubbling sound from behind the group. Looking behind them, Link and the Sages saw that a gate had closed at the entrance area, blocking anyone else from getting in, while the bridge they used to move onto the platform they now stood on sank into the lava.  
"Cripes, that's another déjà vu…" Link said, blinking.  
"Huh?" Zelda asked.  
"Back when I had to go through the Fire Temple and was about to face Volvagia the dragon, I also witnessed a platform I needed to cross to the main battle area sinking to the lava, as if trapping me in that area while fighting the boss." Link replied.  
"I see." Darunia said, just as he saw the Cannon Soldiers taking position.  
"Everybody get ready," Rauru said, "this is going to be quite tough…"  
"Goddesses bless the Chateau Romani…" Zelda said, as the effects were still in place.  
"Let's show them." Link said, preparing his Bow and Silver Arrows…  
_"Hey, what do you think you're doing here?!"_ A menacing, high-pitched voice then said.  
"Majora!" Link and the Sages said in unison.  
_"You may have made it this far, but you'll never be able to stop us now! This machine will end you now!"_ Majora said, before vanishing again, the Cannon Soldiers taking position…


	48. Chapter 48: The Lava Run

_Chapter 48: The Lava Run_

The battle began as the four Cannon Soldiers began to unleash their spiked cannonballs to the group, while the cannon directly in front of the group was firing regular cannonballs at a relatively slow fire rate. But this didn't make it any easier as the group was moving about, just to avoid those cannonballs and spiked cannonballs while at the same time making sure none of them would have a one-time lava bath.  
"That cannon ahead doesn't have something to disable it!" Zelda said, imitating Link's behavior of strafing around to prevent being hit while keeping an eye on the targets.  
"Then ignore it for the time being while still avoiding those Cannonballs. Concentrate your firepower on those Cannon Soldiers to relieve some pressure instead! I'll try to strike at the target with that blood-red gemstone." Link said.  
"Right." Zelda said, firing one Silver Arrow at one of the Cannon Soldiers, defeating it instantly, leaving three more to deal with.  
Saria fired a Silver Arrow at a second one, only to intercept its spiked cannonball, before Darunia came to her aid by lambasting one with one of his own fireballs. Link managed to fire a Silver Light Arrow at the target he was aiming for, raising a red object within the central bar for a moment. Firing a second Silver Light Arrow raised it even further, but the third one was intercepted by one of the cannonballs fired from the main cannon. While Ruto and Nabooru kept the third Cannon Soldier at bay, Zelda aided Link by firing a Silver Light Arrow of her own at the target, raising the red object even further upward, approaching the top of the bar, just as Rauru disabled the third Cannon Soldier and Impa and Nabooru helped in taking out the fourth one. This now left only the central cannon and the primary target to deal with. Darunia caught one of the cannonballs with his bare hands and tossed it back, effectively intercepting another cannonball which was aiming for Saria, while Link scored another hit on the target with a Silver Light Arrow, bringing the red object to the top. This caused an alarm to go off, the pointer on the wheel to spin and the cannon itself ceased firing.  
"What's going on?" Zelda asked.  
Impa turned her attention to the machine in the far background, noticing that its motions had slightly increased, before the pointer stopped, landing on an image of lizard-like creatures… just then, the twin doors on the platforms of the machine opened up and a total of six Lizalfos came out, taking positions as two of them were poised to land on the platform Link and the Sages stood on to engage them in close quarter combat. Nabooru engaged them both, while Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto took out the four ones who remained at the back with Silver Fire Arrows, effectively slaying the lizard-like fighters within less than half a minute.

Now, two more Cannon Soldiers appeared to engage the group, while the main cannon fired again, this time with a slightly increased fire rate, making things a bit harder for the group.  
"Oh man, I have a feeling that this may take a while…" Ruto said, avoiding a spiked cannonball which had her name on it.  
"I agree, but we should be able to best it somehow; we now know its primary weakness." Link said.  
"Right." Ruto said, just as Zelda fired a Silver Light Arrow at the target, shortly followed by Saria, while Nabooru used a Golden Sword Spark to take out the first of the two Cannon Soldiers and Darunia lambasted the second one, removing those threats for the time being, letting the others focus on avoiding the regular cannonballs and striking the primary target. After two more Silver Light Arrows, courtesy of Link and Ruto, struck the target, the sirens blared again, repeating the procedure it did the first time, but now instead of Lizalfos, Dinolfos appeared. They had no armor, but it was the variety that utilized the Fire Breath as a secondary weapon. Initially attempting to immolate the whole group with their Fire Breaths, the Dinolfos were dismayed that Ruto cast a Water and Ice Barrier to cancel the stream of fire out, before Link and Zelda used Silver Ice Arrows to freeze two of the Dinolfos solid, after which Ruto and Saria lambasted two others with Silver Fire Arrows. The two last Dinolfos hopped on the platform to strike at the group with their blades, only to be knocked into the lava by Rauru and Darunia, both Dinolfos howling in agony as the lava burned and melted them alive. Ruto used her Nice Boomerang to strike at the two frozen Dinolfos, breaking the ice and stunning the two creatures which also made them fall in the surrounding lava, ending them. This time, four Cannon Soldiers once more appeared as the main cannon fired as well, again with a slightly faster rate of fire than before, while the Cannon Soldiers began to fire in alternating order instead of all simultaneously. This made it in effect harder for the group to properly engage the machine and the soldiers altogether. Link aimed at the main target, only to receive a spiked cannonball in his side by one of the Cannon Soldiers, with Saria receiving a similar treatment, although she managed to take out the Soldier whom shot at Link before she was hit. Ruto and Zelda managed to take out two of the other Cannon Soldiers along the way, before Zelda was hit by another Spiked Cannonball from the final Cannon soldier, who was promptly taken out by Impa, allowing the group to concentrate on the central target. While the Cannonballs were now easier to avoid due to it being the only things shot at them, the group still had it a bit more difficult due to the increased fire rate. Despite this and their injuries, Link and Zelda both managed to hit the target with their Silver Light Arrows, before Saria hit her mark, before Ruto made it reach the top again, causing the sirens to go off once more…  
"How many times have we done this procedure now?" Ruto asked.  
"This is the third time, if I'm not mistaken." Link said.  
"It is the third time indeed." Saria said.  
Just then, the pointer stopped again, before the twin doors opened up, unleashing four Bomb Soldiers, whom instantly took position and began to toss their Bombs at the group! Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto used their shields to protect them from the most part of the bombs' detonations, while Darunia tossed a Nice Bomb back at them, instantly killing two of the Bomb Soldiers as the greater explosion of the Nice Bomb gave it an area-of-effect blast radius, coupled with greater splash damage when compared to regular Bombs. Nabooru repeated this procedure with the two remaining Bomb Soldiers, before two Cannon Soldiers appeared again, while the main cannon began to fire as well, this time at an even faster rate than before.  
"What's the deal?!" Ruto asked, avoiding a cannonball while Link and Saria managed to take out the Cannon Soldiers before they could deal any damage.  
"I believe we're inflicting some serious damage to this machine, perhaps it reacts to the damage it has received so far." Nabooru said, hopping to the left to avoid another incoming cannonball.  
"What's the matter, Impa? You seem concerned… we will defeat this machine." Zelda said as she successfully hit the target with a Silver Light Arrow.  
"This isn't my main concern, dear," Impa said, managing to get a strike in herself using a bow she took from the armory in the firing range, "it appears that the machine in the background is also working faster, in correspondence to this machine…"  
"That is weird…" Link said, managing to strike the target again with another Silver Light Arrow, before Nabooru hit it again, letting the sirens go off for the fourth time, the two hatches opening to reveal a total of four Aeralfos, two from each side!

The Aeralfos roared first at the group as they took positions to surround them, while Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto took out their Clawshots, getting ready themselves.  
"Get behind us; this is getting tricky!" Link said to the others, getting ready to aim his Clawshot to fire and pull the Aeralfos he targeted in.  
"Right." Nabooru said, nodding as she stood behind Link.  
Impa took position behind Zelda, Rauru stood behind Ruto and Darunia went behind Saria, right before the four Aeralfos raised their shields, giving the group the signal to attack, as the four children pulled the flying lizards in using their Clawshots, before the adults clobbered them several times, straight into the lava as the four children stunned them with their shields first.  
Again, four Cannon Soldiers arrived to attack the group, while the main cannon itself began to fire at the group with half a second between shots, making it increasingly difficult for the group to properly retaliate. This time, Nabooru and Impa were hit by shots from the Spiked Cannonballs, while Darunia grunted as a regular cannonball hit him. Both Link and Saria were able to take down two of the Cannon Soldiers, only for them to be hit by the two remaining ones about a second later, which prompted them to retaliate, although they couldn't prevent Ruto and Rauru from being hit as well by them, effectively wounding the group as a whole now that all of them sported injuries. Ruto got her revenge by taking down the third Cannon Soldier, while Zelda killed the final one using her own Silver Arrows, allowing the group to concentrate on the main cannon and its target again. Rauru, Impa and Darunia managed to get hits in together, with Nabooru managing to strike it back to the top, making the sirens appear for the fifth time. This time, Assault Spear Soldiers came out to strike at the group, tossing the spears at them, only to be defeated instantly with the Silver Arrows by the group. Once more, four Cannon Soldiers appeared to strike at the group while the main cannon attacked with once more a higher rate of fire, making things harder for the group. However, Darunia grabbed the Cannonballs and tossed them at the Cannon Soldiers, helping in defeating them this time with Link and Saria aiding him, before the group could focus on the main target once more. Zelda and Ruto managed to get in a hit with their Silver Light Arrows, before Nabooru got the third hit in and Rauru finished it off with a Silver Light Arrow of his own, finally causing the machine to cease its operations, falling silent while a hatch to the far right opened up, revealing a path.  
_"NOOOOOO!" _Majora wailed, as if it had observed the fight of the group with the machine.  
"Too bad for you." Link inwardly snarled.  
_"Link! You and your pesky friends aren't getting off that easily. If the factory goes, you go with it!"_ Majora said, clearly agitated, before the group went off into the now-revealed path, which was a corridor with wooden planks and metal walls around.  
"Oh man, he sounds like he's lost it!" Saria said.  
"And that's what scares me about him; if Majora goes nuts, he's more dangerous than ever." Link said, looking around with extreme caution.

The group entered the next area, which was leading to a path upstairs, but as they went on, a crate fell down into the lava and the bridge they went on before collapsed, effectively preventing them from going back! To make matters worse, the area was shaking at random intervals…  
"What the-?! The whole place is coming apart!" Nabooru said.  
"Not only that, but the lava appears to be rising at an alarming rate…" Darunia said, seeing it almost reached the platform they stood on.  
"Oh no! EVERYBODY RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Link then shouted, making sure his weapons were tucked away as he made a run for it, Zelda and Saria close behind him as the Sages followed right away, the lava now reaching the platform they just stood on as they made their way in a circle to a higher area.  
_"Careful, don't drink more than you can handle! HAHAHAHAHAAAA!"_ Majora's voice cackled across the area, revealing that he was the one who was deliberately causing the place to begin to fall apart, as more debris and crates fell in the lava at the sides…  
"CURSE YOU, MAJORA!" Link snarled as he and the Sages managed to reach the higher path in time.  
A Sword and Shield Soldier tried to block their paths, only to be clobbered aside by Darunia, while the others went around it, hopping across a gap to a broken path at the other side, moving then to the left, hopping over two platforms before reaching a crevice in the wall where they climbed up rapidly to a higher part with grating close by, while the paths the group just had been on vanished below the surface of the lava. Being in full-panic mode let the group run as fast as their legs could carry them, climbing up the grating quickly before moving to another set of platforms, with Saria summoning a bit of wind to give the group a speed boost to prevent them from falling in the lava. Hopping from the platforms swiftly to reach a straight path to the left, Link smacked a Sword Soldier away to continue his way, while the path below him began to creak, shake and crumble already, before he hopped on wooden platforms onwards, smacking another Sword Soldier to the side along the way, while the Sages weren't far behind, while Darunia was already making plans of his own.  
"THIS IS INSANE!" Zelda exclaimed as she climbed higher in another crevice after Link, with the former already hopping on platforms that acted like a stairway upward towards another grating.  
"YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN!" Saria said, seeing as the lava was rising rather rapidly.  
"DON'T LOOK BACK OR DOWN, JUST GO!" Darunia exclaimed.  
Link was already making his way on other platforms, moving as fast as he could to stay clear ahead of the lava, while smacking another Sword Soldier away as he waited for a little bit. The others arrived within a matter of seconds, the heat of the rising lava already becoming prominent as it kept rising, as if it was chasing the group. As they went onward, Zelda smacked yet another Sword Soldier to the side herself, not wanting them to hinder her and her friends as they reached another grating…

Link climbed his way up the grating as fast as he possibly could, already beginning to sweat as he moved rapidly. However, it kept him occupied for a moment as suddenly what appeared to be a stone hit him on the head, causing the young hero to yelp in pain as it hit him, but he quickly recovered and climbed on to a higher path. He was alerted to another yelp, this time coming from Saria and Zelda both as they too were hit with similar debris, before reaching Link's position with the others just as he hit another Sword Soldier, defeating it.  
_"STOP THEM! THEY MUST NOT REACH OUR TOWER!" _Majora screamed throughout the tower as Link and the Sages scaled the last staircase, of which the platforms were already beginning to shake and crumble, the lava now rising rapidly as the entire place was falling apart!  
Smacking a final Sword Soldier away, Saria helped Link further up as he was hit by one strike of said Soldier, reaching the top in time before the platforms they just scaled collapsed and fell in the rising lava, with the group heading for the final bridge where they stopped, seeing that there was a large abyss underneath them…  
"Good grief, he has gotten completely mad." Impa said, while Saria and Zelda tended to Link.  
"Are you okay?!" Saria asked in worry.  
"I'm fine, it's not as bad as it looks." He said, seeing that his shield blocked most of the strike at his right side.  
Just then, the place shook a bit, a rumbling sound coming from below.  
"Huh?! What was that?!" Nabooru asked.  
Just then, the faint sound of a massive explosion was heard from below, as the machine they had just fought against suffered from too much pressure and exploded. This resulted in a fireball spreading around in every direction, killing the troops that were looking after the machine itself or tried to run away from it.  
"It's coming from below!" Impa said.  
Right as the group looked down, all they could see was a fireball heading into their direction as it was looking for a way to disperse as more and more machines were annihilated throughout the whole underground headquarters. In utter horror and fright, the entire group tried to shield their eyes and quickly prayed for a quick, swift end… only for a gust of wind emanating from the shockwave of the explosion itself blast them right into the air, just ahead of the fireball that was chasing after them. Whether it was desperation or determination, Saria and Ruto both combined their powers and created a water spout that was enough to let them keep their speed and distance ahead from the fireball, just as the group was literally blasted out of the air chute they were in, sending them in the direction of the final tower of where Ganondorf and Majora resided. The last thing they saw before losing consciousness, was that they approached the ground at the tower's base at high speed, unaware of Ruto, Saria and even Nabooru trying their best to cushion their landing as best as they could…

Leia and Reimu were with their troops inspecting the area the group had just traveled through, when they felt the ground underneath them shake.  
"What the-?! Is it an earthquake?" Leia asked.  
"LOOK! OVER THERE!" A Gerudo shouted, spotting an explosion in the far distance, although it looked like a fireball being blasted from the ground…  
"Good grief!" Leia said, appalled at seeing the explosion.  
"EVERYBODY MOVE BACK TO THE SHIP AND UNLOAD THE AIR FIGHTERS! WE'RE GOING IN NOW!" Reimu then barked, intent on investigating this, causing the resident group to abandon their current tasks and fall back to the ship at the dock to do as their commander has ordered them to.  
Reimu herself saw her sister looking on, who was terribly shocked.  
"Sis, we need to go back to get the air fighters." Reimu said softly to her sister.  
"Are you sure they will work? These motorized air ships haven't been tested thoroughly… " Leia said.  
"Now is a better time than never. We managed to take some stuff from the enemy's camp after all and the prototypes were a success, so now's our chance to repay our debt to Nabooru and her friends and help them out as they had helped us out." Reimu said.  
"I understand, sister. Let's go." Leia said, nodding.

Nabooru briefly woke up from her unconsciousness, looking around. She immediately held her head as she felt pain shooting up at the side of it, making her hold it, wincing a little as she felt a fresh wound there, which was obviously bleeding. Trying her best to regain focus, she tried to get a good look in of her surroundings. She saw Impa, Darunia and Rauru lying at a short distance to her left, still out cold, before looking to her right. There, closer to her, she found Link, Saria and Zelda close together, with Ruto behind Zelda, also out cold. Each of them were lying in a very shallow puddle of water, to which she mused that this water was probably Ruto's doing in her attempt to cushion their fall as best as she could, since any normal collision with the ground from such a fall would have killed them all instantly. She gently stroked Ruto's face, before looking up. She could see that they must have landed in a stone cavern, while the humongous tower that had dark clouds bellowing around the top was directly ahead. The Tower's height almost resembled Ganon's Tower in the Future That Almost Was, but now much taller and more menacing looking, with numerous high towers and what appeared to be dark fog around certain levels. Bolts of lightning were visible in the dark sky at regular intervals, coupled with an occasional rumbling in the air. But there was no rain…  
"This… this is it… this tower…" Nabooru said to herself, "this is where Ganondorf and Majora are… we reached their fort."  
Just then, she saw three small balls of light coming her way. It were Navi, Tatl and Tael!  
"You three… you made it… as well…" she said.  
"Where have you been? We lost track of you during that snowboard thing!" Tatl said.  
"Tatl!" Navi then said.  
"Wow, you look awful! What happened?" Tael asked.  
"We… we managed to… reach Ganondorf and Majora's headquarters… and… and messed up their plans there…" She said with a pained chuckle.  
"We heard an explosion not too long ago…" Navi then said.  
"That… that was from the headquarters… we… we destroyed its main power generator… and Majora tried… to take us with it… we… barely escaped in time…" Nabooru said, trying to stay awake, finally also spotting the thing that was generating the barrier in the first place in a deactivated state.  
"Good grief!" Tael said.  
Nabooru then chuckled, before her eyes rolled to the back of her head, passing out once more as she fell over, her face close to Link and Saria's.  
"N… Na…. Nabooru?!" Navi asked, alarmed.  
Tael immediately went over to her, flying over to examine her.  
"She's still alive, just unconscious. We need to find something to heal their wounds, otherwise they will perish at the sight of the finish!" He said.  
"Right." Navi said.  
"But where can we find some fairies here?!" Tatl then asked.  
"We'll try to look around, or otherwise donate a bit of our energy to AT LEAST ensure they'll stay alive." Tael said.  
Navi immediately caught on to this and began to fly around Link, Saria and Zelda, being in close range. Tatl moved over to Ruto and Nabooru, while Tael sought out Darunia, Rauru and Impa…  
"Link… please… stay with us… we can't lose you again like we did before…" Navi said as she flew over to Link, right before she heard him grunt a little.  
Moving closer to his mouth, Navi tried to check his condition there. She could hear him breathing. It was slow, a little labored, yet stable. This gave her the confirmation that Link was very much alive, just out of commission for the time being. But how long he would stay out cold like that was something that not even she knew… she also failed to notice a faint orange glow around each of the unconscious group…

Link shot up as he found himself in a white void, blinking as he looked around.  
"What the-?! Where is this? Where am I?!" He asked.  
"Link? Is that you out there?" Saria's voice then said.  
Link then looked to his right, seeing Saria appear beside him, followed by Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru and finally Impa, Darunia and Rauru.  
"What happened?" Ruto asked.  
"I guess you could blame me for this," Nabooru said, "in my efforts to aid you in at least softening the fall, I must have pulled us into the Spirit Realm by mistake."  
"It wasn't a mistake, Nabooru." A feminine voice then said, which Rauru immediately recognized.  
"What the-?! Venus, Your Highness!" Rauru then said.  
Just then, the faint image of Venus appeared in front of the group, floating gently.  
"If anyone would be responsible for taking you here, it would be me. I have sensed your distress and when I felt Nabooru invoking her Spirit powers, I reacted accordingly, as the landing on the ground would have likely separated her body from her spirit by violent means, which would not only kill her, but also left her unable to be revived, despite her good intentions." Venus said.  
The group blinked at this.  
"What?! I… I didn't know! I…" Nabooru said, trying to explain.  
"I know you tried to soften the blow for yourself and your friends during that fall. It was very brave of you to do so. I merely aided you in this." Venus said.  
"I… I understand. Thank you." Nabooru said.  
"There is something you must know, however. Ganondorf and Majora both have been working together on this tower and are planning to use the top of it as a site of what will likely be the final battle against you. While you have gained a vast number of new skills and weapons, you must remain cautious. If Ganondorf and Majora would, by any chance, combine their powers properly, they would be a force that can breach the fabric of dimensions with their sheer power alone. It is this that should be considered your greatest danger, as this could give him the opportunity to give you a fate worse than death; a banishment to the void between dimensions." Venus then said.  
"The Void between dimensions?!" Link and the Sages asked.  
"Yes. If that happens, you would still be alive, but you would have vanished from the face of Hyrule and Termina, leaving both lands and beyond unchecked and unprotected against their might, dooming them to a Kingdom of Eternal Darkness and Evil, where the friends you have left there will also likely suffer an unjust or cruel demise."  
The group gasped at this, apparently appalled by this revelation.  
"There is a chance however that this fate can be avoided. If both Ganondorf and Majora would be lured in this inter-dimensional void along with you for a showdown without restrictions, it would take them away from the face of the world as well. The only way to return to these lands safely is through the acquisition of the complete Triforce." Venus then said.  
"So, it would require us taking Ganondorf's Triforce of Power, or Ganondorf taking my Triforce of Courage and Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom then." Link said, nodding.  
"Indeed. Just remember that, if the Triforce is used to take you back, the ones whose powers have been taken cannot return. This is the risk that one has from traveling between dimensions." Venus said.  
"At least we have a chance to FINALLY get rid of Ganondorf and Majora once and for all." Zelda said.  
"True, but Majora's insanity and power alone might still do considerable damage and perhaps render all our efforts in vain. So I suggest we strip Majora of his mask and destroy it so he won't have that power again." Link said.  
"A very wise suggestion." Venus said.  
"But we… we aren't dead, right?" Ruto then asked.  
"No, each of you is very much alive. You were knocked out by the fall, but what Saria, Ruto and Nabooru did ensure your survival. Give it a while and you should be back on your feet." Venus said, smiling as she casted a warm glow around the group, before she and they vanished from sight, as everything turned back to normal for the group…


	49. Chapter 49: From one battle into another

_Chapter 49: From one battle into the other_

Link finally regained consciousness after what seemed like hours, Saria, Zelda and Ruto sitting near him as they had recovered a couple of minutes before, while Darunia and Rauru were already awake, Impa also just woke up and Nabooru was stirring.  
"Ow, my aching head!" Link said as he carefully sat up.  
"Thank the Goddesses, you're alright!" Zelda said, before gently hugging Link along with Saria and Ruto.  
Link smiled, returning the hug gladly.  
"I'm happy to see you too alright." Link said.  
"That was… quite a harsh landing…" Impa said.  
"Yeah. At least the headquarters of their troops is now destroyed…" Nabooru said, before Link felt a slight kiss on the cheek.  
Looking around, he suddenly spotted Navi flying close to him.  
"Navi, glad to see you back with us." He said, smiling before nodding at seeing Tatl and Tael nearby.  
"Glad that we managed to reach you again." Navi said with relief in her voice.  
"Indeed." Tael said, while Tatl blushed a little, her tsundere side acting up again.  
"So, where are we?" Saria said.  
"I'm pretty sure we're now at the base of the tower of Ganondorf and Majora." Nabooru said, looking up.  
Link and the other Sages looked up as well, blinking at the mere size of the tower.  
"Good grief! I knew that the Stone Tower already is tall as it is, but this could pretty much rival or even go beyond it!" Link said.  
"I'll say, it's as if they too have tried to reach the Goddesses." Zelda said.  
"And we have to scale the whole thing too!" Ruto said.  
Link sighed as he went to check his inventory.  
"Well, I still have my weapons, but I'm running a bit short on ammo, in particular arrows. I spent a good amount of them against that machine we fought." He said.  
"Same here, although I have still my Slingshot to full capacity." Saria said.  
"At least it's better than having nothing at all. I just hope we can get some new supplies underway." Zelda said.  
"Right." Link said, just as Navi floated beside him.  
Tatl went towards Zelda, while Tael floated beside Saria, deciding to hide with them while they went underway.

The area flashed for a moment as another lightning bolt crossed the dark clouds above, followed with some distant rumbling as the group walked on towards a chest, which contained some additional medical supplies in the form of bandages and a couple of Red Potions. Taking them with them, the group then carefully climbed to a higher part of the outside base of the tower through a net that was hanging in the area safely, taking it slowly to not overexert their bodies yet, considering they have just recovered from unconsciousness. Once on the higher ground, the group stopped to take another look at the tower itself.  
"Do you think they know of our presence here?" Zelda then asked.  
"Positive, but I bet they're simply waiting for us to come to them, provided we get past whoever's left of their troops here." Link said.  
"True. Given that this is their stronghold, we should expect heavy resistance." Rauru said.  
Link nodded, adjusting his outfit and popping his neck a little to loosen up the muscles there.  
"Well, here goes nothing." He said as he entered the tower's main entrance, which was now nothing more than a stone hallway that almost appeared to be simply carved out of the stones and rocks that were present in the area.  
Zelda and Saria followed him silently, until they saw Link stopping at a torch, looking at it in wonder or confusion.  
"What's the matter?" Saria asked.  
"Check out this torch; it's green flame reminds me of one I saw in the Forest Temple." Link said.  
"That's odd. Perhaps it's some kind of magic?" Zelda asked.  
"Possibly. I wouldn't be surprised if we would find the Poe Sisters in here somewhere." Link replied as he made his way around the corner towards a ladder, which he climbed, now standing in the entrance room and the first actual room of the grotesque tower.  
No sooner had he entered the tower's first room, or Link could already hear the squeals of Lizalfos in the room, hearing their steps coming closer as they were preparing for combat. Immediately Link drew his blade and readied his shield, just as Zelda climbed in the room, soon followed by Saria and Ruto, each of them also drawing their weapons. Even though they waited for the others, Link and Zelda already took on a defensive position, with Link peeking around the corner from behind a pillar, seeing not only a good number of Lizalfos, but also a few Assault Spear Soldiers, Bow Soldiers and even a Ball and Chain Soldier.  
"We have company… and quite numerous too." Link said.  
Zelda took a peek around the corner of the pillar herself.  
"Yep. Good thing most of them are easily dealt with…" She said, as Darunia came in the room as the last one of the group.  
"Well, shall we have a good time and give those creatures what's coming to them?" Link asked with a very uncharacteristic smirk.  
Zelda returned the expression with a nod.  
"Let's do this." She said as she was ready.

With that, the battle went underway as Link and the Sages moved from behind the pillar, immediately seeing the group of enemies charging at them. The group had very little trouble in cutting through the Lizalfos, four of them charging at the group only to be taken down in a single strike each. Four more of them were at the back, while Link took down one of the Bow Soldiers, but when Zelda engaged the Ball and Chain Soldier, she bumped into a barrier casted by yet ANOTHER Barrier Wizrobe, whom had casted the barrier around the Ball and Chain Soldier. Nabooru relieved her by striking at the Wizrobe, while Impa and Ruto took down two of the Assault Spear Soldiers, followed by Saria aiding Link with taking down two more Bow Soldiers. Rauru helped Zelda by using his Light-based attack to blind the Ball and Chain Soldier, allowing Zelda to take it out herself. This left the remaining five Lizalfos and six Assault Spear Soldiers as Impa took down the last two Bow Soldiers with great vigor.

Using his shield to deflect incoming spears, Link boldly charged at one of the Assault Spear Soldiers, whom at first backed off, only to be hit by a slingshot projectile from Saria, allowing Link to take the soldier out using the Ending Blow technique. Nabooru and Zelda both took out two Lizalfos each, while Saria and Ruto defeated one Assault Spear Soldier each. Darunia took out two more of them while Rauru fought the last one and Impa slashed the final Lizalfos to bits, the group's gold-colored blades proving very effective at dealing heavy damage against the enemy forces. However, the group was given no time to rest; as soon as the last Lizalfos was killed and its body vanished into nothingness, a large horde of Dinolfos, both with and without armor, as well as Assault Sword Soldiers and Stalfos entered the room as if ambushing the group. Of course, the group didn't take kindly to this and retaliated with the same vigor, this time changing tactics. Both Link and Zelda kept attacking the enemy targets with their swords and shields, making good use of the abilities they learned at the Swordsman's School, the Helm Splitter, Back Slash and Ending Blow being used quite often. Saria summoned vines to constrict or hold enemies in place or pulling allies out of harm's way, allowing Darunia to strike the constricted enemies apart with his Fire Punch Barrage or use his own fireballs or summoning fire from the ground to lambast the enemies in range. Ruto doused some of the enemies in gusts or spouts of water, occasionally using a water-based shockwave-type attack to knock the enemies back in case they put on too much pressure. Impa produced two Shadow Clones to aid the group, bolstering the group's numbers a little as it gave them a greater fighting chance, especially as Impa was manipulating shadows to make some of the enemy Soldiers hit each other or their reptilian allies. Nabooru was now adding her own abilities to aid the group, one in particular being a self-enhanced version of the Mortal Blow that, when striking a desired target, separated their spirits from their bodies, effectively killing the victims instantly due to the spirits having no body to return to, leaving the bodies as nothing more than empty, lifeless husks that soon disintegrated into nothingness, never to be seen again. Rauru's light-based spells allowed him to effectively blind his targets, allowing the elder Sage to come in quickly for close combat, or otherwise stun them long enough to smite them to their doom with his own Light Blasts. This varying amount of attacks and defense patterns allowed the group to plow through the enemy forces, easily slaughtering the attacking Dinolfos without the armor, although their armored comrades were tougher to beat. Still, it did happen that one Dinolfos managed to strike both Link and Zelda with its Fire Breath, although the damage was minimal due to the heat-resistant Goron Tunics the two were still wearing, leaving them with only a few marks which were easily extinguished thanks to Ruto being nearby and using a gentle spray of water to cool their burns down.

Saria in the meantime was cut in the right shoulder by one of the Assault Sword Soldiers, but Nabooru quickly came to her aid and drained a portion of the Assault Sword Soldier's life-force, donating its converted energy to Saria to quickly revitalize her and lessen the cut wound she received to a minimum. At the same moment, Darunia was having a great time smashing several Stalfos to bits, using fire-powered punches to break through the Stalfos' shields and shattering their skulls with following punches, despite the Stalfos' attempts to cut him all over. Link and Zelda came to his aid after the Dinolfos were finally taken care of, effectively dwindling their numbers rapidly while Impa showed several Assault Sword Soldiers who's boss using her Shadow Clones to intercept those who tried to strike Link and Zelda in the back, although one of the Sword Soldiers managed to stab her in the side, at which Nabooru responded by cutting the Soldier's head off, before donating its energy in a similar way to heal Impa's wound. Once the army of Dinolfos, Stalfos and Assault Sword Soldiers were finally taken care of, a single Big Poe appeared in the area, ready to swoop down towards the group and strike them with its lantern, although a few Silver Arrows easily defeated the ethereal being with only a few hits.

Finally, the room was cleared, as a few chests appeared in the area, which allowed the group to restock on arrows, before Link used a Nice Bomb on a Wooden Barrier that was blocking the group's path. Moving through the now opened area, the group entered a corridor that was lit by more of the green flame torches, as well as a very undeep patch of lava in the middle of the path. Although there were two nets at the side to help the group over, the adrenaline within Link and Zelda was apparently high enough for them to move through that patch of lava, bearing the same effects as if one would run through the lava patches within Dodongo's Cavern or the Fire Temple, with the added protection of the Goron Tunic that allowed them to move through this part of the lava unharmed for the most part, despite their feet being a bit too hot now. Ruto chose the safer option using the nets, just as the group reached a lava room that had platforms floating in it. Fortunately, these platforms didn't sink as the group hopped over them one after the other, seeing as the group could see the floor of the room itself through the lava surface. Still, they decided to play it safe this way as they made their way along to the far side of the room where a pathway went down to a lower section of the area, into a small room with a bridge over another lava ditch. It was there that the group stopped for a moment to get a breather.  
"Whew, if I didn't know that this was their final stronghold, we could be far worse off." Link said, panting as he stood next to a wall where a few crates were being stacked.  
"I'll say. To think that this is only the first floor…" Zelda said.  
"Coupled with it being just the outer section… " Nabooru added.  
"Yeah. It makes Ganon's Tower in the Future That Almost Was look like an apartment store compared to this." Link said, to which the others nodded, right before Saria managed to defeat a Business Scrub nearby, who offered the group some Red Potion, which they accepted and drank from it after paying the Business Scrub the 40 Rupees.

Revitalized after drinking from the Red Potion, the group made their way into the next room, first entering a lower section of it, but after climbing into the room using a rope net, the group stopped as they blinked at what they saw. For starters, the room itself was really big, possibly big enough to rival the Kokiri Village in size, from the log that was the entrance/exit of the village itself, all the way down up to the entrance to the path leading to the deceased Great Deku Tree. A total of nine stone Pillars were present in the room, obviously meant to provide support to the ceiling area, with at eye level holes in the pillars that contained the same green flames the group had seen with the torches along aside the wall. At the back side to their right was a stack of crates set up as a form of a last-resort supply chain, but that wasn't what the group was worrying about. Like with the Entrance Room, the Central Room was filled with enemies at the back, this time being four Aeralfos, a Darknut, two Iron Knuckles, four Eyegores, three Floormasters, four Red Taros, four Ball and Chain Troopers, a group of four ReDeads huddled together in the far side corner, two Spear-wielding Moblins and a single Club Moblin guarding a gate.  
"Well, crud." Saria said, annoyed.  
"Chin up, Saria. We survived the onslaught back at the entrance. I'm sure we'll be able to live through this too." Link said, patting her on the shoulder, making Saria smile.  
"They've spotted us!" Darunia said.  
"Everybody move to the back! Let's show them who will have the endurance to fight on!" Link said, moving as the Aeralfos were flying up in position, the Ball and Chain Troopers were moving towards the group, as were the Taros. The only enemies that remained docile for now were the Darknut, Iron Knuckles, ReDeads, the Club Moblin and Eyegores, giving the group the initiative to ignore them for now, letting them focus on the approaching group.

Link and Zelda managed to snag two of the Aeralfos out of the air using their Clawshots, before slashing at them with their swords to deal damage, while Saria managed to take out one of the Spear-wielding Moblins and the Club Moblin with Silver Arrows from a distance, making them much less of a nuisance. However, before she could target the last Moblin, it was already charging at her at high speed. Although she managed to avoid being skewered by the spear, she along with Link and Zelda were unceremoniously knocked aside, before Ruto took the offending Moblin out instead, while Darunia intercepted the last two Aeralfos by grabbing them as they swept down to strike at the children, breaking their wings afterwards so Nabooru and Impa could finish them off. Helping Link, Saria and Zelda up, Impa and Nabooru then clocked two of the Taros and Ball and Chain Troopers coming quite close to the group. Nabooru had little difficulties in dealing with the Taros, slashing their throats with a few quick swipes of her blades, only to get clobbered in the chest by one of the Ball and Chain Troopers, which in turn received a Ball and Chain in the face, courtesy of Link. Zelda saved Impa from the Ball and Chain of the second Ball and Chain Trooper, allowing Saria to take it out with a Silver Light Arrow, before Ruto helped Link in taking out the first one as Rauru helped Nabooru back on her feet. Darunia managed to incinerate the first of the Floormasters as it got into range, using a Goron Pound to tackle the Mini Floormasters along the way as Link and Ruto took out the two remaining Taros as they came in at the group, while Saria and Zelda worked together in defeating the two remaining Ball and Chain Troopers, leaving only the two Floormasters to deal with as the moving enemies, which Link and Saria first took care of by striking them with Silver Fire Arrows, after which Zelda casted Din's Fire to destroy the mini Floormasters that came from the fallen normal ones. This left only the silent monstrosities to deal with, but not before Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto used Silver Fire Arrows to take out the ReDeads from a safe distance. But just as the four children moved onward to engage the Darknut first, a Like-Like dropped from the ceiling and promptly swallows the four children whole, before spitting them out… but now without their Shields and Goron Tunics! Immediately Nabooru fired a Silver Fire Arrow at the gelatinous creature, defeating it instantly and allowing the four children to regain their Goron Tunics and Red Shields, just as two of the Eyegores woke up and moved in to engage them.

While the four children equipped their shields and got hold of their Tunics to put them back on in the safe corner, Nabooru and Impa helped by taking out the two approaching Eyegores with the Silver Arrows, defeating them instantly, before luring the other two Eyegores over to take them out as well, leaving now just the two Iron Knuckles and the Darknut. After having put their tunics back on, the four children resumed their plan of attacking the Darknut en masse, while the four adults went to engage the two Iron Knuckles, two against one Iron Knuckle each. Using Silver Arrows to wake them up, the behemoths went on their way in a spreading motion towards their attackers, just what the group had intended all along. This allowed them to properly focus on the slow moving enemies, yet also prevented them from getting in each other's way and/or getting caught in the attacks from the other swinging parties. Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto managed to stun the Darknut before slashing at it from all sides, effectively destroying its shield and armor in less than a minute, before diving out of the way as it tossed its broadsword away in favor of a smaller, rapier-like sword while also having increased speed. Darunia, Rauru, Impa and Nabooru stayed clear of the Iron Knuckles and their massive axes, Nabooru in particular, instead opting to pelt the behemoths with Nice Bombs, Nice Bombchus and Silver Arrows to inflict the damage, also rapidly destroying the outer armor of the behemoths, while keeping their distance as the two ran towards their attackers, making sure they had free path behind them as more Arrows and Bombs eventually did the Iron Knuckles in, just as the four children finished the Darknut off. This cleared the room of the enemies so far, but as the group got back together to regroup, a gate closed at the entrance area of the room, locking them in the room itself! The gate that the Club Moblin was guarding first then opened up and another large group of enemies moved in the room, being Assault Sword Soldiers, Stalfos, Eyegores, Garo Robes, a single Garo Master, Armored Dinolfos, Moblins, Red Taros and Flare Dancers!  
"Brace yourselves!" Link said, getting ready as his Golden Master Sword and Red Shield were ready.  
"Remind me to give my blessings to that Swordsman whom taught us those skills…" Zelda said, standing next to Link, her own Golden Sword and Red Shield ready as well…  
"You can concentrate on the Garo and the Sword-wielding enemies," Darunia said, "I'll handle the Flare Dancers!"  
"Right." Link said as the battle began…

Rolling up, Darunia prepared his Magic Goron Roll, using his spikes to knock two of the Moblins, a Garo Robe, several of the Assault Sword Soldiers and Armored Dinolfos and four Red Taros aside, reaching the Flare Dancers within seconds and using the Goron Pound to disable the suits of those he could reach, ready to squash them flat. Four Assault Sword Soldiers charged at Link and Zelda, with the hero and the princess coordinating their attacks and making sure not to hit each other as they fought for their lives against the aggressive, corrupted soldiers. Saria and Ruto provided cover by tackling the Moblins from a safe distance using their Silver Arrows, repeating this procedure with the Eyegores, while Impa and Nabooru engaged the Armored Dinolfos, while Rauru himself took on the deadly Garo Master. Despite being one of the elder Sages, as well as being the eldest of the entire group, Rauru was still very much capable of combat if the lives of himself, his friends and his home were at stake, doing whatever is necessary to smite evil. With this, he was easily capable of observing the Garo Master's moves and, using the knowledge that Link provided him about them, he knew when to strike, avoiding his attacks several times before dealing the death blow with a powerful Light Blast, causing the Garo Master to commit its form of ritual suicide upon being defeated.

Once the Eyegores had been taken care of, Saria and Ruto went to assist Link and Zelda against the ruthless Assault Sword Soldiers. Although the two had slain a decent portion of them, there were still several more to deal with, all of which attacking with quite the vigor inspired by the need to take them down in the name of their dark masters Ganondorf and Majora. Darunia had no problems in slaying the Flare Dancers, his Goron Pounds, Goron Roll and Goron Power Punches proving very effective in dealing quite the damage, taking out several Garo Robes and Red Taros along with his actions, even if they were just in the way to his intended targets. Nabooru and Impa attacked the Stalfos after taking out the Armored Dinolfos using the Helm Splitter and Ending Blow, while on occasion Nabooru used her Enhanced Mortal Blow to take care of the nemeses. Impa deployed her Shadow Clones this time to assist the four children against the raging Assault Sword Soldiers, seeing that they were in quite the deep trouble due to the aggressors' relentless attacks on them. Still, the four stood their ground, despite having several cuts, bruises and slash wounds, diminishing the enemy numbers rapidly.

Having killed about four Flare Dancers, Darunia looked around to ensure there were no more of them, before he went to assist Rauru against the remaining Garo Robes, who were furious after seeing their Master being killed by the hands of an elder Sage. While Rauru was capable of handling them, personally taking out two of the Garo Robes in a single strike, he did find himself surrounded and using evasive maneuvers to dodge the attempts they made to strike him from the sides or from behind. Link and Saria both took out a few more of the Red Taros that tried to attack them from the sides before focusing on the last of the Assault Sword Soldiers, who were now rapidly dwindling in numbers as now only less than ten of them were in the room, while Impa and Nabooru both plowed through the Stalfos forces as if they were nothing, sending bone fragments all over from those who literally shattered after taking too much damage. Once the last of the Assault Sword Soldiers were finally slain, Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto aided Rauru and Darunia by attacking the remaining Garo Robes from the flanks, with Link striking several of them down in a single blow with a well-timed Quick Spin attack. Once the Garo Robes were dealt with, the group joined up with Impa and Nabooru and together the eight fighters attacked the remaining Stalfos en masse, making sure not a single one of them remained behind, along with the remaining Red Taros. Once the room was empty again, save for the group itself, each of them either leaned on their weapons after stabbing them in the ground, or otherwise collapsed to hands and knees as they were quite exhausted. Impa managed to get herself and he others some more of the Red Potion she had saved, something which the group could definitely use to revitalize a bit and have their worst wounds treated.  
"Dang, that was one battle I wouldn't want to experience again." Zelda said, wincing a bit as Impa nursed her sides, while Nabooru tended to Link.  
"It definitely won't be of this kind, but this is only the beginning of what has yet to come." Link said.  
"You're absolutely right in that. I must admit that you are quite the smart kid for someone of your age… I wonder why you and the three other children aren't playing with other toys instead of those you have now…" a dark voice said.  
Immediately the group was on alert as the gate ahead opened once more… and Dark Link stepped out from it!  
"Surprised to see me? Yes, you did manage to defeat me back at the forest outpost, but Ganondorf apparently had some more use for me and gave me another chance." Dark Link said.  
"I take it you're not alone?" Link scoffed.  
"Cheeky and yet catching on so quickly… you're right. I'm not alone…" Dark Link said with a chuckle… just as dark versions of Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru appeared around the group… along with Dark versions of Rauru, Darunia and Impa, surrounding them!


	50. Chapter 50: Going back

_Chapter 50: Going back_

Link and the Seven Sages were disturbed at the fact that they were facing dark versions of themselves, each bearing the ominous dark gray to black colors all over the hair, skin, body and clothes, with the only thing being colored were those piercing, crimson red eyes.  
"This is far enough, kid. You've done well in penetrating the outer section of the fort, but this is what they say, end of the line." Dark Link said, approaching Link, who in turn approached him.  
"For you, yes." Link said, once more battle-hardened.  
"Please, your condition is wavering to say the least. I'm surprised you can even STAND with all those wounds. Just hold still right there, I'll be nice enough to make it quick and painless." Dark Link said, still approaching.  
Surprisingly, Link stood indeed still, leaving the good and evil Sages in wonder what he was doing. Dark Link also found it odd that Link was actually listening and just stood there, silent and not afraid.  
_'Why is he not cowering in fear? Doesn't he fear death?'_ Dark Link wondered as he raised his blade, but remaining weary of Link's movements.  
Link on the other hand was indeed sweating, but ignored the pain as he continued to watch Dark Link.  
_'That's it… come closer, you twit; I'll show you!'_ Link thought with focus.  
"Link? What in Hyrule do you think you're doing?" Saria said, only to receive no answer.  
Soon enough, Dark Link stood in front of Link himself, the two staring in each other's eyes, studying each other. A sudden wave of deadly silence fell in the room, enough to make a heart beat itself out of control in anticipation or aggravation…  
"A brave kid you are, showing no fear in the face of death… I shall remember this…" Dark Link said, raising his blade…  
…only for the group to hear the sound of steel meeting flash… and seeing Dark Link in sudden pain!  
The entire group watched as Link pulled his Golden Master Sword from Dark Link's body, before kicking him backwards, sending him backwards on the ground. Link didn't stop however as he charged onward, jumping in the air before thrusting his sword down to perform the ending blow… only for Dark Link to roll out of the way, making Link miss his target, but allowing Link to regain focus as Dark Link had difficulties with getting up… only to hear him chuckling darkly.  
"H… heh, heh, heh… you certainly got me good, kid. I didn't expect you to pull something like this off… possibly the best shot you had against me." Dark Link said, a smirk plastered on his face.  
"Hmph. I should have known; Ganondorf and Majora must have had something to do with this." Link said.  
"They had indeed, they created me and the counterparts of your friends…" Dark Link said.  
"That I know, the Stalfos Commander told us this." Link said.  
"I see," Dark Link said, drawing his own sword and shield, "this is going to be an interesting fight after all."  
"I take it you want this fight to be just between you and me, huh?"  
"Exactly; my friends would like to go one on one with their counterparts… your friends."  
"I have to give you this; you do know how to play fair in this."  
"Of course, why else would I go after the others if my only target is you?"  
"I don't know, perhaps using them as a leverage to lure me out?" Link replied sarcastically.  
"Oh please, don't give me that crap; with how you have been able to stay together, it's hard to find you without any of your buddies around."  
"Hm. You got me there."  
"Now, are we done talking?"  
"As for me, yes. Let's do this then." Link said, getting in his battle stance, while the Sages got ready to fight as well.

The fight begun less than a second later, with each of the heroes moving to attack their dark counterparts. With almost each of the group, the fight as an actual sword fight individually, the only exception being Darunia, whom was engaging his Dark self in an all-out fist fight. At first, the fight seemed to go equally, with metal going against metal, scraping noises all over, but this was partially a ruse on part of the heroes… this was proven as Link was at first going his usual routine to see if this Dark Link still fought the same, which he so far did, which brought a smirk to Link's face.  
"What are you smirking at, boy? You caught me by surprise with that one sneaky move, but truly you can't beat me now…" Dark Link said.  
Link merely responded by first thrusting his shield forward, clocking Dark Link full in the face to daze him.  
"I've learned some new stuff." Link retorted as he rolled around Dark Link to get behind him and delivering a Back Slash against him, causing Dark Link to grunt in pain as it struck him.  
In retaliation, Dark Link moved in to strike back, but Link used his shield to block and his own sword to parry the strikes with the grace of a well-trained knight, making use of his full body to avoid as many strikes as possible and using his shield as a weapon, at a few occasions even striking his dark self with the hilt of his Sword.

Zelda was fighting with a similar grace, although adding a bit of the Sheikah fighting style fitting for children as her attendant Impa had been teaching her some form of self-defense in secret, as well as the knowledge she had obtained during her time when she was disguised as Sheik in the Future That Almost Was. This, in combination with the moves she learned in the Swordsman's School, allowed the princess to maintain a bit of leverage against her dark self, making use of her agility to avoid incoming swings, while using the momentum in her attempts to land in blows of her own. Saria was in the meantime studying her own dark self, deciding not to resort to her Sage powers just yet.  
"I do have something to tell you…" Dark Saria then said as she and Saria were parrying each other's strikes.  
"And what would that be?" Saria asked, narrowing her eyes.  
"You remember Sakon the thief?"  
"Yes, that prancing fool… what about him?"  
"Well, I made sure you won't be bothered by him anymore…"  
"What? You mean that…?!"  
"Yes, I killed him. Consider it a 'favor' of some sort."  
"A favor?"  
"Yes, since the one who will end your miserable life will be ME! Not such a prancing idiot!" Dark Saria said, intending to strike down the stunned Saria, only for the Forest Sage to recover and block the incoming strike with her shield.  
In retaliation, Saria moved in to stab at her dark self, only to have that blocked by her dark self's shield, creating a stalemate.

Nabooru was having it quite tough against her dark self, whose smirk that was plastered on her face would make one believe she could devour the Gerudo leader's soul at any given time. Nabooru wasn't stupid however and remained focused, yet she wasn't exactly half-hardened in her moves… almost timid even. But with the way Nabooru had narrowed her eyes made it apparent that she was trying to feel her dark self out, as if trying to find a pattern between her attacks. She decided to hold off on the use of her Sword Spark skill, deciding to use it as a last resort and in case she was sure her counterpart didn't have that particular skill. Ruto on her turn was keeping a close watch on her dark self, who was circling around her in an attempt to find an opening, while Ruto kept a close watch on her. She could understand why Link and Zelda both have gone more on the offensive; they had faced their dark selves before and knew what they were capable of. But since she had never fought someone like that, she was much more cautious and test if what Link had remembered in previous encounters of his dark self also applied to her in terms of moves, repetition and specific openings or weaknesses she could exploit in this battle.

Impa was also being very careful, seeing as her dark self seemed to exploit the shadows a lot more than Impa did, the darker areas making her practically invisible. Hence Impa was moving closer into the illuminated center of the room, while using her Shadow clones as a plan of her own, intending to lure her dark self out in the open, illuminated area and strike her from behind using the clones. Rauru on the other hand seemed to be in quite a struggle himself, finding his own magic attacks cancelled out by Dark Rauru, even though neither of them was having the advantage at this time. Darunia however was getting tired of his dark self and promptly charged at him, with Dark Darunia returning the same gesture, resulting in the two Gorons getting embroiled in a rapid-fire fisticuffs contest, where the furiously attempted to pound the other's skull in, yet finding themselves meeting the opponent's fist halfway, leading to nothing. Whenever Dark Darunia managed to clock Darunia in the face with a strike that broke through his defenses, Darunia recovered quickly and delivered a punch in the face back at his dark self, resulting in a similar stalemate.

Both Link and Dark Link showed signs of frustration as neither of them had the advantage, but Link seemed more focused despite sporting some fresh new wounds here and there, while Dark Link was having difficulties with standing straight due to the injury Link gave him while delivering the Mortal Blow.  
"Why won't you die?!" Dark Link snarled.  
"Because destiny has chosen me as one of those who will bring salvation to Hyrule and Termina. I intend to fulfill that destiny by defeating Ganondorf and Majora!" Link retorted.  
"Like hell you will! Ganondorf and Majora will gladly kill you again! There's no way you will have a chance against them now!" Dark Link said, kicking Link away, getting ready to rush at him to end the fight.  
Link however recovered, and got ready as he promptly discarded his shield for the time being, gripping his sword with two hands!  
"Oh yeah?! We'll see about that!" Link said, as he rushed straight towards Dark Link, who was already charging at him, sword held back as he was now faster due to not carrying the shield with him.  
At the same time, Dark Saria caught Saria in a vine-trap, almost similar to the one she used on Sakon, but she soon found her own movements restrained due to Saria deploying a vine trap of her own, pulling her arms to the side which released the Forest Sage herself. Darunia managed to clock Dark Darunia to the far side of the room in his own fiery rage and Zelda managed to gain the upper hand on her own Dark self once again, using her own magic blasts to counter and prevent Dark Zelda from re-igniting the Dead Man's Volley routine once more. The group then saw Dark Link and Link charging at each other, with the Sages blinking at seeing Link having dropped his shield, charging at his dark self head on. Both Dark Link and Link raised their weapons as they came closer and swung towards the other, with the distinct sound of flesh being penetrated by steel being heard in the area, seeing Dark Link and Link right opposite each other in a locked position. All they could see was a smirk on Dark Link's face… and a weary look on Link's face… seeing blood trickling down his face due to a fresh cut in the cheek.

Suddenly a gasp of agony resonated in the area… but Link was keeping his focused expression… this was soon followed by the clatter of a sword landing on the ground… it was Dark Link's! Now the group could see, after moving positions, that Link managed to plunge his sword straight into Dark Link's chest, causing the latter one to gasp out in pain, blood trickling down the edges of his mouth, blinking in utter shock.  
"B… but how?!" Dark Link asked, as Link pulled his sword out of his enemy.  
Link didn't answer as he promptly kicked Dark Link to the ground, before jumping at him again, sword pointed below… this time using the Ending Blow successfully to defeat him. Dark Link gave a last agonizing howl as he was being stabbed, before laying still. Link himself waited for a few seconds more, before pulling his Golden Master Sword out of him, twirling it around before sheathing it. Seeing this, Dark Saria rushed at him in an attempt to strike at him, only for one of Saria's vines to wrap around her neck in an attempt to intercept her, but then…

*SNAP*

Instantly Dark Saria was sent to the ground, not moving an inch as she eventually came to a stop, her neck broken, making Link and Saria herself blink at this. Dark Zelda was then unceremoniously zapped to death by one of Zelda's more powerful spells, similar to the one she used to bind Ganon in the Future That Almost Was, but now in a more offensive fashion. Ruto managed to avoid her dark self's last attack, before knocking her back against a pillar… right into a torch! Dark Ruto screamed in agony as she was being burned by the torch, before falling to the ground, her movements ceasing. Nabooru on her turn managed to slice the throat of her Dark self before using a Spirit Ball she made to knock her to the far side of the wall, while Darunia delivered a massive power punch against Dark Darunia to send him head-first against the ceiling, crushing his skull in the process. Like with Zelda, Rauru zapped his dark counterpart to death, while Impa used her own shadow to trap her dark self before slicing her across the chest, neck and legs, severing the tendons inside before stabbing her blade in the neck to cut Dark Impa's jugular vein, ending her as well, finally ending this fight.

Link looked down upon the corpse of his dark self with a look that spoke a totally different language than the expected victory one. It was as if Link felt he had overcome his own dark demons of the past in a way, considering the way Dark Link had fought was similar to how he had fought before his own initial demise and resurrection… and yet Link wondered what the point was of this kind of battle. Sure he knew that he had to face his fears, but why did it have to manifest itself in an exact copy of himself, like it did in the Water Temple? What was Ganondorf and/or Majora even planning with these dark copies? Why did it feel the need to pull such an atrocious action like that? Why was it created in the first place? With these questions in hand, Link solemnly returned to the others, feeling a bit empty inside. Fortunately, the Sages understood the raging conflict within the young hero, with Zelda ironically thinking along the same lines as Link on this part. But their peace was short-lived as the cackle of a single Stalfos resonated through the area. Looking around, the group spotted the skeletal warrior coming from above in the center of the room. Link fired a Bomb Arrow at it, only to find the Stalfos being guarded by a Barrier Wizrobe. Zelda moved to shoot the Wizrobe, only to find out that it was being protected by ANOTHER Barrier Wizrobe in turn!  
"Okay, now I am really pissed at these guys!" Link said, jumping at one of the Wizrobes to attack it, only for it to vanish at the last moment, making Link miss its target.  
Fortunately, Saria managed to make him appear again along with the other one, allowing Link to take down the Barrier Wizrobe that was unprotected, before Zelda took down the second one whom now lost its protective shield. This now left only the Stalfos, which was taken out by Darunia himself. Finally, the group were confronted by a group of Mad Scrubs which appeared at locations between the pillars in the room, but they were taken out with a single strike each or by reflecting the Deku Nuts back at them, after which the room was finally void of enemy troops, the entrance gate into the area re-opening to the lava room, but the gate that released the onslaught of enemies was closed and appeared to be sealed shut. Relieved, the group finally sat down on the floor, with Ruto handing Link's shield back to him, which he accepted with a smile, now having the time and the chance to nurse each other's wounds. Navi, Tatl and Tael appeared with the group to provide assistance in this.

"Oh man, if this keeps up, we'll still be too vulnerable against our hated enemies." Ruto said after a minute.  
"Yeah, but I feel confident that we will make it, somehow." Impa said, nodding.  
Link winced a little as Zelda helped with the cut in his cheek, bandaging it.  
"We should look for a Fairy's Fountain or otherwise Red Potion or both… we'll need them more than ever." Zelda said.  
Link nodded.  
"Indeed. I'm already quite worn out as it is, it was literally one battle after the other." He said.  
"But we will continue on, right?" Nabooru asked.  
"Of course; we've come too far to retreat now. This would only work in Ganondorf and Majora's advantage if we did, so we have to press on with our assault and finally defeat them once and for all. That way we all have had our revenge in a way and we can finally lead Hyrule to an era of peace and prosperity." Link said.  
"You took the words right out of my mouth." Zelda said, hugging Link gently.  
Link smiled and returned it, before giving a similar hug to both Saria and Ruto, making the two girls smile and blush at the same time. Oddly enough, Zelda was genuinely smiling along the way, knowing how much Link cares about all of his friends after all…

"So, where do we have to go? The gate where the enemies came from is closed and it doesn't look like there is a switch around that will open it to let us through…" Saria then said after a few minutes, her arm in a makeshift sling to let it rest for a bit.  
"There are gratings at a part of the wall and on parts of the ceiling. Obviously this requires the use of our Clawshots to progress. It may take us back to the entrance room even…" Link said.  
Zelda and the others looked up, seeing what Link was talking about. There were indeed patches on the ceiling with gratings on them, as if forming a small path or something to a room at a higher floor on the side of where the entrance was.  
"Well, at least it gives us a new room to explore once we've rested up." Zelda said, with Impa sitting close to her.  
"Indeed." Impa said, sighing as her Shadow Clones stood guard at the entrance area, just in case.  
"Are you alright, Ruto? You're shivering all over…" Link said in genuine concern.  
"I… I'm fine… it's… it's just the thought of not making it in the end…" She said.  
"Of course we will make it, just remain calm and focused. And even if we would fall, we'll make sure that the enemies will have their victory taste as bitter as defeat." Nabooru said, determined to make it.  
Link then grabbed his Ocarina, looking at it for a moment, before sighing. Then he began to play the Song of Healing on it, only to blink for a moment when he heard Zelda playing the same song in perfect synchronization and harmony with him, in effect doubling the Song's power to soothe the regrets of troubled souls. This had the desired effect of calming Ruto down, but not just her… it was calming in fact everyone of the group and also seemed to have a positive effect on their spirits, as if re-strengthening their vigor and backing up the reasons for going on.

After about two minutes, both Link and Zelda quit playing, smiling as they too felt relieved at the whole state of affairs, now feeling somewhat revitalized, despite their injuries.  
"That was… beautiful…" Saria said, smiling as she hugged both Link and Zelda.  
Link and Zelda both smiled at this, returning the hug and allowing Ruto to join in. Impa smiled at the scene, getting up slowly.  
"Well, I think it's time for us to go. Let's take it easy and not strain ourselves too much, or otherwise we'd worsen our injuries." She said.  
The others nodded, moving slowly towards the area of where the closed gate was, before moving to the left. Stopping at the corner there, Link looked up as he saw the grating on the wall, before using his Clawshot to grab the wall and drag himself to it, climbing a bit higher on it before using the Double Clawshots to make his way over the grating pads on the ceiling to reach the open room on the far side of the room, the room having an eerie red glow to it as it led into the lava room. Defeating a single Mad Scrub along the way, Link used the gratings on the ceiling in the lava room to cross this one as well, entering another room on a high level where he defeated another Mad Scrub before waiting for the others, who were fortunately not too far behind him.

Proceeding again on their way, the group eventually re-entered the Entrance Room from a higher point, this time ambushed by a single Aeralfos who tried to stop them, only to be reeled in like a fish by Nabooru using her Clawshot and decapitated by Impa, the corpse of the Aeralfos disintegrating within a matter of seconds. This also exposed a Hookshot target into a room the group had not seen before or otherwise missed it due to the intense combat they had been involved in when first entering the room.  
"What's in there?" Saria asked.  
Link responded by using his Hookshot to latch onto the target, pulling himself in the room, after which he looked around.  
"What luck, guys and girls! I found a Fairy's Fountain here!" He said, waiting for the others.  
He didn't have to wait long as the others came into the room one by one, just to prevent being in each other's way while using the Hookshot to pull themselves up into the room. To their delight, they saw that Link was very much right, allowing the group to seize the opportunity and get properly healed by them, which they did without hesitation, as well as it allowed Navi, Tatl and Tael some additional conversations with their fellows. With that over with, the group removed whatever bandages were left, being completely revitalized as a whole. With this now accomplished, the group took a sip of the water for some additional nourishment, before moving back into the main Entrance Room.  
"So, where do we go now?" Impa asked.  
"I can see a grating at the opposite side of this part of the room to our left, spanning across a lower ceiling area. Perhaps we need to use that to cross towards a platform at the far side of the room itself?" Zelda asked.  
"Sounds feasible to me. With the Clawshots we should be able to latch onto it, but watch out for the steam jets that are up against the wall." Link said, hopping down before he moved to the grating, using the Clawshot to latch onto it and from there moving his way as if he was climbing upside down on a vine towards the far side of the room. Once there, he waited again for the others, before the group entered another corridor, which went in a 'Z'-pattern of first going to the right and then to the left, leading into a room where platforms were raising and lowering constantly like unstoppable elevators. Thankfully, there were no enemies or other hazards around this time, but the group did have to make their way up using those platforms and the wooden gratings on the wall and the ceiling. Once more, the Clawshot proved its worthiness by allowing the group to reach those very gratings, which eventually brought the group into another corridor that was right on the upper level of the room where they had fought the large amount of soldiers and their Dark selves before. Entering the corridor to the right, they could see the final remains of their dark counterparts disintegrating on the floor.  
"Why is this still going on? They should have been disintegrated into nothingness by now…" Saria said.  
"Remember that these clones were made from the blood we spilled in our battles. Obviously Ganondorf and Majora have made this into a punishment for them akin to how Phantom Ganon was sent into the void between dimensions in the Future That Almost Was…" Link replied.  
No sooner had he said this, when a dark portal suddenly appeared on the ground, which dragged the bodies of Dark Link and the other Dark Counterparts into it, before sealing itself once more. The group all watched this occurring, blinking at the whole thing.  
"I believe you just called it." Zelda said.  
"I'd agree." Link said, before the group proceeded onward, seeing a single jail room which had a Goron in it.

Opening the cell, Darunia smiled as the Goron bowed to him in respect and granted him with another Powder Keg.  
"Where are you from by the way?" Darunia asked.  
"I'm from the Goron Village in Snowhead, I was one of the people who were captured during the Invasion of Termina." The Goron said, before he left off, moving to find his home once more.  
"They sure have the right, twisted minds to capture all these people…" Ruto said.  
"I'll say." Impa said.  
"If this is their stronghold and they have taken prisoners to here, it is likely we may also come up against brainwashed people around whom want to kill us, so let's proceed with caution." Nabooru said as the group returned from the corridor to the larger room, which had crates stacked against the opposite wall and a wooden barrier blocking the path to a staircase to the right on the far side of the area. After Darunia blew the barrier itself to bits, the group proceeded to the staircase, using the Clawshot to reach another Wooden Grating which took them over a stone wall into a larger part of the room itself on the higher floor, finally allowing them to proceed further in the tower, now entering the inner section of it…


	51. Chapter 51: The Longest Scaling

_Chapter 51: The longest scaling…_

After climbing over some stones and rubble, the group proceeded down the large corridor, before jumping down a large hole that led into the inner section of the tower as a whole. Immediately the group could see that the environment was somewhat different. Instead of the green-tinted stones, partially due to the green torches in the outer section of the tower, this part had a more bluish hue to it overall. There were several large holes in the ground that had a small patch of lava in it, as if a lava ditch was moving through the room, with several solid stone bridges spanning over it to reach every part of the room without having to specifically go around every bit. There was also a rotating platform in the center with a statue that apparently was holding a grotesque stone pillar that ran all the way up to close to the ceiling, being several tens of meters high overall! Another pillar was standing nearby and sported a staircase going all around it, but several parts of it were broken or missing, forcing the group to take the scenic route all around the room just to get to the top of the room if they had to progress. As if that wasn't enough, the room itself had the presence of some very large Dodongos with maws big enough to swallow two of the children simultaneously whole, making Link shudder as it reminded him of the Big Dodongos he had encountered back in North Termina Field. It almost appeared as if these Dodongos were related to the grotesque King Dodongo, considering their overall size and the spikes on their backs. Looking around the room even more, the group also located several Fire Keese flying around aimlessly, two sets of two Death Armos whom were guarding a bridge each, two Iron Knuckles whom each were at the far side of the room, standing in front of a wooden barrier, a single Floormaster patrolling the first staircase directly ahead, Red Bubbles which were now more actively appearing out from the Lava and leaping over the bridge, as if daring an unsuspecting traveler to cross it without getting knocked off of them and falling into the lava itself, a few Blue Bubbles on a platform at the far side of where the first staircase ended, two White Bubbles patrolling around the rotating pillar and a Green Bubble being present at another higher-laid platform that required the group to reach using the floating platforms and Clawshot Targets which were practically all over on strategic points. For the rest, there was a combined patrol of Assault Sword Soldiers and Stalfos at the far side of the room itself, right behind the pillar with the staircase containing the patrolling Floormaster. Finally, there was a platform on ground level which contained several chests and a suspicious looking shadow among them. The only odd thing was that there were a few Bomb Flowers spread over that very platform on the corners and the center.  
"Well, it appears our troubles have only begun." Nabooru said.  
"I agree; there's likely more enemies around, probably lying in wait to ambush us." Zelda said.  
"At least we have some more room to fight in, just stay clear of the lava ditches." Darunia said.  
"Right. We should try to lure the Fire Keeses over first." Link said, preparing his bow and Silver Arrows, also locating several more chests around the area.  
"We'll keep watch in case any of the other enemies make their approach. The Death Armos and the Bubbles seem to contain themselves for now, but that only leaves the others." Impa said.  
"The Stalfos and those Assault Sword Soldiers are likely the main threats whenever they see us," Darunia said, "with the Dodongos merely walking around aimlessly and the Iron Knuckles staying put until they're hit…"  
"Then it's settled; we'll take out first the Fire Keeses and the more aggressive threats, especially considering how relentless those sword soldiers are…" Link said, being serious.  
"Right." The Sages said in unison, nodding as they found this a logical battle plan…

With their plan established, the group carefully proceeded in the room, intercepting any Fire Keese that came too close for comfort, the Silver Arrows proving their worth again, especially when the group moved to lure the Stalfos and Assault Sword Soldiers over. This didn't take long as the Assault Sword Soldiers immediately went to charge at them once they saw them, together with the Stalfos, although a few of the soldiers didn't look where they were going and subsequently fell in the lava, due to the edges of the path around the ditch having nothing like guard rails or the like to prevent one from falling from those platforms. While this gave the group a few less enemies to deal with, it didn't make much of a difference due to the relentless attacks of the enemies as a whole, with the Stalfos using a Jump Attack of their own to cross the gaps to attack the group. Thankfully, due to the room being large and having little to no rubble in the way, the group saw them coming and responded accordingly to their attacks by moving to the side or backwards in order to avoid them, with Link, Zelda and Saria pulling off a picture-perfect back flip before using the momentum of the Stalfos' attack to strike at them, damaging the skeleton warriors, while at the same time Darunia clobbered several Assault Sword Soldiers to the side, while Impa and Nabooru intercepted two other Assault Sword Soldiers whom tried to strike at the children from the side. Ruto attempted to assist the group by launching a Silver Arrow at a Stalfos. While she missed the Stalfos she was aiming for, the Silver Arrow buzzed on and by pure luck managed to strike and destroy one of the White Bubbles that was currently floating in place. Link and Zelda made use of the momentum from the Stalfos' attacks to roll behind them and perform the Backslash, while being cautious as to not fall in the lava ditch or being crushed underneath the nearby floating Death Armos. To prevent one of them from crushing Saria as she was dangerously close, Link intercepted one by striking it with a Silver Light Arrow, turning the Death Armos upside down, before deliberately moving underneath it to make it strike the ground head-fist, fatally damaging it before the group pulled back as it exploded, taking one Assault Sword Soldier out with it. Still, this left one more Death Armos to deal with, floating in place akin to the Anubis in the Spirit Temple, although it was far more resilient. Saria managed to intercept a few more Fire Keese using her Slingshot, saving some precious ammunition from her Bow and Arrows like this, while Link and Zelda both took on the Stalfos together, being backed up by Nabooru and Impa, whereas Ruto took out some Assault Sword Soldiers with her Silver Arrows, relieving both Darunia and Rauru, who were fighting them, from some pressure.

Once the last four Stalfos were dealt with, Link and Zelda went to engage the Death Armos on the left bridge that was left, leaving the two other Death Armos on the other bridge for what they were at the time, not wanting to put the group under too much pressure as Zelda used a Silver Light Arrow to turn the Death Armos upside down before Link again deliberately made it hit the ground before it detonated, just like its comrade before. Once the Assault Sword Soldiers and Stalfos were dealt with, the group focused on the two remaining Death Armos', which both Link and Zelda took out by repeating the procedure they did before.

After defeating the two last Death Armos, the group now had one of the Iron Knuckles close by in front of a Wooden Barrier, while Link was also keeping tabs on the Floormaster on the nearby staircase, which was patrolling up and down the stairs. Deciding to focus on the Iron Knuckle for now, the group moved backwards as Link, Saria and Zelda began to toss Nice Bombs at it to both wake it up and damage it, taking advantage of its slow speed to keep their distance while also looking around to ensure they didn't make a misstep and fall off the bridge they stood on. Once the Iron Knuckle lost its outer armor and gained speed, while still wielding its deadly axe, the group pelted it with arrows instead before eventually defeating it, making it disintegrate into nothingness.  
"One Iron Knuckle becomes quite easy to deal with when we're in a group like this." Link said.  
"I agree." Zelda said, nodding as they made their way towards the lonely platform with the chests, the Bomb Flowers and the suspicious shadow on the ground.  
"What's with the shadow here? It can't be another Invisible Floormaster, can it?" Saria asked.  
"No, it's not. It could be from something high up in the air…" Link said, just as a lit Bomb landed near the group, courtesy of a Bomb Soldier that had appeared on one of the higher platforms where the two Blue Bubbles were. Although Ruto took out the Bomb Soldier, the group couldn't prevent the Bomb from detonating, causing the nearby Bomb Flower, which was the closest to the shadow, to explode as well, causing the shadow to tremble for a split second…

Without warning, a Dead Hand suddenly burst from the shadow on the ground, the sudden shock and scare causing Link, Saria and Zelda to stumble over the Bomb Flower behind them, falling flat on their rears on the ground.  
"What in the name of Hyrule is that?!" Ruto exclaimed, horrified by the grotesque appearance of the monstrosity as it was scuttling on the ground toward the three downed children.  
Impa however was serious and immediately came to the aid of the three children by jumping to the platform, slashing the Dead Hand in the face. The Dead Hand remained undeterred as it kept moving on, opening its grotesque maw to attack Impa, although Impa was having none of it and kept striking at it until it moved away and buried itself back underground.  
"Where did it go?" Nabooru asked, joining the group, as the others were close behind.  
"I don't know, must be somewhere underground!" Link said, preparing another Bomb to lure it out.  
Tossing it into a corner, the bomb exploded which brought the Dead Hand out again this time, this time Link moved to take a Jump attack, delivering a successful strike in the creature's face. However, the creature recovered before Link could regain himself due to the momentum, just as Zelda attempted to strike at the beast. However, she tripped on a re-growing Bomb Flower she didn't see, causing her to bump into Link who caught her, merely moments before the Dead Hand struck. With a *CHOMP*, the monstrosity bit both Link and Zelda into one of their legs, causing the two children to scream in pain. Although the bite was only short and not enough to break the bones, it did leave a set of bleeding bite marks there. Immediately Saria went postal on the creature, catching and ensnaring it in her vines, before Nabooru slashed its head off, killing it instantly, before Saria went to treat the wounds of the two, using her Forest Sage abilities to disinfect the wounds, with Impa taking some Red Potion for the two to drink. Link was able to bite through the pain himself, but Zelda was outright whimpering as she didn't expect this to happen.  
"What was that for a beast?!" Ruto asked.  
"A 'Dead Hand' as they describe it. Usually dwells within the depths of the Kakariko Well and the Shadow Temple, but I never thought to encounter one here…" Link said, hissing a little as his injuries were being rapidly healed thanks to the effects of the Red Potion he drank, seeing that Zelda too was also calming down.  
"Just rest up for a little and you'll be good enough to go in a couple of minutes." Impa said, smiling.  
"Thanks, Impa." Both Link and Zelda said in unison, before giggling at this.  
"Rest for now, we'll take out the remaining enemies on the ground floor here for you." Impa said, while Saria fired a Silver Fire Arrow at the Floormaster, killing it… and making it split into three.  
Darunia moved over to pound those three mini-Floormasters into dust before they could do any harm, allowing the group to focus on the remaining Iron Knuckle. While Link and Zelda rested to let their wound heal over with the aid of the Red Potion, the others managed to awaken and defeat the Iron Knuckle using the usual strategy of using ranged weapons to break its outer armor and defeat it while ensuring that they kept their distance from it. No sooner had they defeated the Iron Knuckle, when a few more enemies entered the area, this time being only a few Lizalfos and Dinolfos, whom the group had little to no troubles with in taking them out.

With the enemies so far eliminated, the group returned to Link and Zelda, helping them recover from their wounds, which fortunately weren't too serious, allowing the group to continue on their mission, first moving to gather all the loot they could find from the present treasure chests, being primarily ammunition of arrows and bombs, although one contained a Bombchu and another turned to be a trap as an icy breath came from it, momentarily trapping the three in a block of ice before it broke, thanks to their body warmth… Once fully restocked, the group proceeded towards the first stairway and ascending it to its top, which led to several floating platforms and Clawshot/Hookshot targets. Using this to reach a more solid platform with a floor switch, Link took out the Green Bubble that was floating on that platform in place. After that, he stood on the floor switch which the Green Bubble had been guarding before, which opened a cell back in the pillar with the first staircase, which contained a cage. Taking aim with his bow, Link launched a Silver Arrow at the cage, breaking it. From the cage came another Goron, who smiled at being released, putting down two Goron Powder Kegs on a platform after arriving downstairs, before making his way out.  
"You guys and girls wait here." Darunia said, hopping downstairs to take one of the Powder Kegs and used it on the wooden barrier in front of him, destroying it in order to enter a small, single room with several chests which contained some additional ammunition for Bombs and Arrows… as well as some new shields! These shields looked larger and even more polished than the current Red Shield the group had with them… Taking the Shields with him, he then took the second Powder Keg and used it on the second Wooden Barrier, also obliterating it, before finding a switch which he activated. The result was that one of the statues against the wall was replaced with a different statue as if it stood on a rotating platform, the new statue providing the group with better access to the platform that contained the two Blue Bubbles, which Saria and Zelda took out with Silver Arrows, allowing the group to reach the chests there and reunite with Darunia, who then came upstairs to show the shields he found.  
"Whoa! The Mirror Shield! Where did you find these?" Link said, blinking.  
"In the small room to the right of the staircase." Darunia said, handing the shields over to those who wanted them as he had plenty of them.  
"Sweet! I feel a lot more protected now!" Zelda said, giggling.  
"What's even better; these shields can't be consumed by Like-Likes." Link said.  
"That's an advantage indeed." Saria said, while Navi, Tatl and Tael appeared to help the group out.  
"We'll help you with showing you where to proceed using the Hook- and Clawshots, just take a good look at where we are and above all, don't look or fall down." Navi said.  
"Understood." Link said as he got ready.

Following the trail that Navi, Tatl and Tael left, Link and the Sages used the floating platforms, Hook- and Clawshots where needed in order to move from platform to platform, making their way up in a clockwise direction until they arrived at a solid platform with a broken path at the far side of the large room as a whole, which pointed straight towards the rotating pillar which had sections of a broken path on it as well.  
"We need to time our jumps here, otherwise we'll fall down." Link said.  
"Right. We should be able to reach the second staircase on our left with ease." Ruto said, nodding as Link hopped on the path first, waiting as he let the pillar continue on to take him to the staircase, before hopping off the platform and onto the staircase, where he once more waited for the others as he slowly walked up the staircase to its top, before he stopped.  
Once the others were with him, the routine was started again of Navi, Tatl and Tael showing the group where to go by floating near the best targets to reach and the platforms to move on, letting the group move on further to the top, this time in a counter-clockwise direction, past one of the other statues, going all the way around until they reached the highest level of the staircase, before hopping on the rotating pillar once more. Looking up, they would see a Hookshot Target above which they could reach one by one, which took them to the flat surface of the pillar's top. However, as soon as he reached the top first, Link was immediately confronted by two Aeralfos whom had been waiting for him! Knowing the routine of how to defeat him, he waited until he could snag one of them towards him by using his Clawshot on the reptilian's shield to take it down, before slashing it apart with his Golden Master Sword. The second one was ready to retaliate, but it was intercepted by Zelda, whom repeated the same movements that Link had made, defeating the Aeralfos. Two more approached however, ready to attack, only for Saria and Ruto to take care of them, now knowing how they could be defeated. Once those two Aeralfos had been dealt with, two more approached! This time, Nabooru and Impa took the initiative and also brought those two down, before one more Aeralfos approached, which in turn was taken down by both Rauru and Darunia, finally allowing the group to enter the room at the top, which had a suspicious red glow emanating from it.

Entering the room, the group noticed that they stood on a grating as a floor, with underneath them being a very shallow lava pool. Looking around, Link saw a ladder to his left, which Zelda was already climbing, before he went after her, using his Clawshot to reach a second ladder that reached the ceiling, before he moved using the ceiling's pathway to move into another opening, seeing a Stalfos already ahead in the next room. The next room also had grating on the floor, where Link landed on as soon as he entered it, ready to fight the Stalfos. Zelda and Saria quickly came to his assistance, with the three taking the Stalfos out with ease, just as the others arrived.  
"Watch it, guys and girls, the lava appears to be slightly boiling here." Darunia said.  
"Good grief, this place is tall!" Ruto said, looking up.  
The others looked up as well, seeing what Ruto was seeing.  
"We really have to climb that all the way up, huh?" Saria asked.  
"We have no other choice." Link said as he moved into a crevice in one of the walls, beginning to make his way up, with the others following.  
However, as Link reached a platform where he prepared to hookshot himself to the other side, he suddenly looked down as he saw something moving… looking down, he saw that the grating had vanished underneath the lava…  
"Oh, you have to be flipping kidding me!" He said.  
"What is it?" Zelda asked.  
"A major problem! The lava has begun to rise! Our only way to escape is to climb this tower all the way to the top!" Link said, before using the Hookshot to reach the target on the other side of the room, before hopping on a larger platform at another corner as he traveled in a clockwise direction, using the ladder latched on that third platform to climb higher up the tower, reaching a platform high enough to take a short breather while aiming for another crevice with his Clawshot.  
"Oh man, talk about being under pressure…" Zelda said as she joined him, with Link nodding as he shot the Clawshot at the crevice, being taken up into it and climbing further upwards.  
"The lava is fortunately rising slow and steady, but it isn't stopping at all!" Darunia shouted.  
"It should leave plenty of time to let us reach the top properly." Saria said.

In the crevice, Link used his Clawshot to reach another nearby ladder, using the second one to reach another ladder, and from there he kept using the Clawshots to make his way up using the grating spread across the wall before he managed to finally reach the opening, leading into a corridor with a stairway at the end. Once inside the corridor, Link stopped to take a breather, while waiting for the others.

Once the others had arrived in the same corridor, they first looked down for a bit.  
"Well, looks like we're really stuck in here now…" Link said.  
"I'll say. Makes me wonder if the lava isn't pouring out of the windows or into the room we've been in before…" Saria said.  
"Let's not dwell on that and keep moving. The sooner we are out of danger, the better." Rauru said.  
"Right. Not even Ganon's original tower was this bad." Link said as the group moved to the staircase, spotting crates alongside the walls and two chain rails that carried platforms from the right to left from their position.  
Arriving at the top, they saw that there were platforms moving over the chain rails towards their position as if it held a hidden contraption somewhere and several Normal, Fire and Ice Keeses were flying about in the room, altogether with two sets of two Green Bubbles in the central area and a single Blue Bubble on the platform at the far side of the room they were in. The group had no troubles in taking out the Green Bubbles with ease, but the Keeses proved more resilient in the way of the group having to either wait for them to dive down towards them or otherwise score lucky shots, which was a few times the case against the Fire and Ice Keeses. Link, Saria and Zelda also had to go to the ground level of the current area to lure the Keeses to them and take them out, with eventually the group managing to take out the Keeses after a couple of tedious minutes. Moving back to the others, Link, Saria and Zelda climbed the ladders present to move back to where the staircase was, before hopping on the moving platforms one after the other, in effect repeating the procedure they did before back in the now-destroyed underground headquarters. The group managed to safely reach the other side, using the Hookshot to latch on the nearby post and reach the path, that was essentially a corridor with three Blue Bubbles inside. While Link and Zelda were successful in taking out two of them, the third managed to bump into them as well as Saria before Ruto took it out, in effect jinxing the three as an eerie bluish-purple glow was pulsing around them.  
"Huh?! What happened?! Why can't I draw my sword?!" Zelda asked, panicked.  
"And what is this bluish-purple glow around me?!" Saria asked.  
"We've been jinxed by one of the Blue Bubbles." Link casually said.  
"You seem pretty neutral with that." Impa said, frowning.  
"It's because I have the means to wash this away in a jiffy." Link said, before grabbing his Ocarina and played the Song of Storms, which caused it to rain inside the tower for a brief moment, in effect washing the jinx curse placed on the group away like it was nothing. Link demonstrated the cured effects as he was able to draw his own sword again.  
"Normally the jinx curse would last for about a minute or two or so, but the Song of Storms allows it to wash away instantly, making the curse little more than a troublesome nuisance rather than an actual curse." Link said, before casually side-stepping a bit before a Wallmaster dropped on the place where he stood before, after which Nabooru took out the fiend with her sword in a single strike.

After moving through the corridor and opening the chests present inside to obtain some of the ammunition they needed on Silver Arrows and the like, the group entered a room which had several floating platforms around, a plain floor at the bottom with a ladder to reach the corridor again and a small lava pond to the far right, with a floor on a higher side which the group needed to reach using the Hookshot and the floating platforms, which had a large hole on its other side. On the last floating platform however stood a single Bow Soldier, ready to strike at the group from a distance. However, Link wasn't stupid; he hopped on the first floating platform and used a Silver Arrow to take out the fiend from a long distance, defeating it instantly as it fell in the lava pond. Now the group could proceed onward without worry, not letting themselves be distracted from the melting corpse as it sank below the surface of the lava, never to be seen again.  
"What's with the lava out here?! This is no volcano like Death Mountain!" Ruto said as the group carefully made their way over the platforms towards the spot where the Bow Soldier stood.  
"That it isn't, but perhaps this lava was taken or placed here using magic, knowing how wicked Ganondorf and Majora are." Zelda said.  
"That's right; there was also lava in the Fire Room of Ganon's Castle in the Future that Almost Was after all." Link said.  
"You got me there. Perhaps their dark and wicked powers can make such normally impossible things possible." Ruto said.  
"True. Don't forget that the Training Grounds in the Gerudo Fortress has lava too, but that's due to the complex being mostly underground…" Nabooru added.  
Impa nodded at this, remaining silent on the matter as the group used their Hookshots to reach the area on the far side, seeing that there was a path with a corridor down the hole they had seen.

Figuring that they had to go through there in order to proceed on, the group hopped down onto the path, breaking a cage behind them which released another fairy which healed any injuries the group had before leaving through the nearby window. After watching her leave, the group made their way on through the corridor into a large, cylindrical room, where the door locked itself behind the group once everyone was inside.  
"Yikes! We're locked in!" Ruto said.  
"I'm not so sure about that…" Link said as he looked up… right before he went wide-eyed for a moment.  
Seeing this, the others looked up as well. The main thing was that this particular section was tall, and I do mean tall! Practically a hundred meters or so, if not more in height, with a rotating spike trap on the tower's wall to skewer anyone unfortunate enough to be falling into that direction, while numerous, numerous floating platforms were scattered in random locations around the room's center, some of them being occupied by Bow Soldiers, who were ready to intercept anyone who would cross their paths.  
"Now how are we going to get up there?" Saria asked.  
"Judging by how the platforms are placed, it's practically saying that we should simply find our way up. Some platforms can be skipped with ease, others look like they can be used as fail saves and others could be merely distractions…" Link said, popping his neck a little and stretching out.  
"Well, it's going to be quite a climb, that much is certain." Zelda said.  
"Indeed. I just wonder what we'll find at the top." Darunia said.  
"Well, like they say: 'Only one way to find out'." Saria said.

Bracing themselves, the group moved towards the ladder with a wooden platform at its top, that served as nothing more than a decent spot for the group to begin their ascension of the tower using those floating platforms. Looking up, Link could clearly see some silhouettes of the Bow Soldiers that were present.  
"Just be careful on the way up; this looks like we will be encountering the last defenses." Link said, pointing to the waiting Soldiers further up.  
"Thanks for the heads up." Zelda said, smiling.  
"Don't mention it." Link said with a smile of his own, before the group proceeded to hop over to the floating platforms one after the other, while Link took out one of the Bow Soldiers easily before continuing on.  
However, just as everyone was a few meters up in the tower, when the heat inside the room increased.  
"What in Hyrule-?!" Link said, before looking down, seeing that lava had appeared in the room and was now covering the floor!  
"Oh you HAVE to be joking!" Ruto said, seeing this as well.  
"I'm afraid it's not a joke, we need to go!" Rauru said as the group began to continue making their way up, with the lava rising agonizingly slow, giving the group some form of reprieve as it allowed them to properly time their jumps and take out Bow Soldiers along the way.

Link and the Seven Sages managed to make their way past the first spiked ring on the wall that was spinning around, taking out the Bow Soldiers that were a hindrance, while also keeping a close watch on each other as well as the lava below, not wanting to make any slip-ups that could cost them their lives. They needed each other more than ever now, so losing each other was now completely out of the question. Fortunately, the trip went without incidents, although the group stayed clear of the Bow Soldiers which were inevitably knocked off their platforms because of the arrows, falling down all the way into the still-rising lava below. Finally, after a few minutes, but what seemed like an hour, the group managed to reach the top of the room, with an open door leading into a new corridor which went onward in a curve to the right and the left.  
"Whew, that went better than I expected." Ruto said.  
Link smiled, patting her on the back.  
"We're at least still together as a whole, that's what counts the most. So in that regard, we still have a fighting chance." He said as the group went on their way.  
"That's right. I just wonder when we will eventually reach the top." Zelda said.


	52. Chapter 52: Close at hand

_Chapter 52: Close at hand…_

The group entered a room that appeared to be closed off ahead, but as they stepped in, the door closed behind them, trapping them in the room.  
"Now what? Not lava again?!" Ruto asked.  
Just then, the group was surrounded by a group of Armored Dinolfos, ready to hack the heroes into pieces… only to be disabled without warning by a few cannonballs smashing on top of them, making the group blink.  
"What the-?!" They all said in unison.  
"Hey, you!" A female voice then came from above.  
Link and the Sages looked up and saw a woman whom was piloting some kind of aircraft coming towards them. It was a Gerudo woman, whom had a smile on her face. At first, the group blinked at this, but then the ship came to a halt next to the platform the group stood on, making the group blink at her. Link was the first to speak.  
"Reimu?! How did you get here?!" He asked.  
"We've been following your travels out here with a ship of our own to assist you. At first, we went down the mountain trail you went down before, when we felt the explosions caused by the destruction of the underground base. At this point we went back to the ship to collect these babies to look for you, the search eventually leading to this tower." Reimu said.  
"I see. So, where did you get these air machines? We've only seen these kind of airships with some of the enemy troops…" Nabooru asked.  
"The Terminans were quite helpful in giving this a redesign to make it more suitable for moving around quickly without that balloon being a hindrance in these tight areas, before the invasion of Termina caused the plans for these to be stolen by the enemy troops. What it basically is now is a boat that can move on water, but with these booster rockets at the back, it can also maneuver into the air. This is one of the only solid and perfectly functioning prototypes we managed to save and keep out of enemy hands during the invasion." Reimu said, smiling.  
"I see." Nabooru said, nodding.  
"Come on, hop onto the ship. Leia's waiting for us with some other Gerudo. We can take you towards the top where Ganondorf and Majora have been staying for some time now." Reimu said, getting ready for take-off.  
Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru hopped on right away, with Nabooru taking place next to Reimu, Link and Saria behind them, with Zelda sitting behind Link, Ruto behind Saria, Impa went behind Zelda and Rauru behind Ruto, while Darunia took place at the back seat, at the rear cannon.  
"Make sure you hold on tight; this is going to be quite a ride." Reimu said.  
"Right." The group said, before Reimu used the boosters to take off.

Reimu steered the vehicle further up into the cylindrical room the group was in as a whole.  
"By all that is holy out here, how big is this tower?!" Ruto exclaimed.  
"Definitely higher to rival the Stone Tower, if not even higher than that!" Link said, looking around.  
"Geez!" Zelda exclaimed, before the airship shifted to normal position as they went through a door which opened for them, leading in a room where numerous gears and cogs were moving around and about, as if operating some kind of heavy machinery. There they met up with Leia and most of the liberated and allied Gerudo the group had encountered and freed, including Reimu's personal guards and the four Pirates whom accompanied the group throughout the Inverted Stone Tower Temple.  
"Ah, sister, you found them!" Leia said, smiling.  
"That I did. It must have been quite a climb for you…" Reimu said, turning back to the group.  
"That it was indeed, coupled with a bit of haste since lava began to rise in the inner areas…" Nabooru said.  
"What?!" Leia asked.  
"Yes, we were in a bit of haste regarding that." Impa said.  
Reimu nodded.  
"Well, we'll now take and escort you to the top room where Ganondorf and Majora dwell. In a way we too have a score to settle, but we know that we wouldn't stand that much of a chance against him if we would face him now. The least we can do is to help you to him and join you in the final battle." Reimu said.  
"Thank you, we appreciate that." Zelda said, smiling, before the small fleet went on their way.

No sooner had the fleet took off, making their way through the giant gears around, when suddenly another set of ships came towards them… these were being piloted by Corrupted Soldiers however…  
"What the-?! Enemy soldiers here too?" Link asked.  
"They're coming about and preparing weapons!" Leia warned.  
"We have weapons too! Do what you must, but make sure that our friends make it through here safely!" Reimu shouted.  
"We'll help too! Just make sure everything remains stable during flight!" Link said, preparing Silver Bomb Arrows to fire.  
"Right. I'll keep you on the ship." Impa said, harnessing her Shadow Sage powers to extend her shadow to grab Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto as they got ready to engage the enemy.  
As soon as the enemy soldiers lined up their craft and began to prepare their forward cannons, Darunia blasted them with the rear cannon he was controlling, while the four children helped by launching Bomb Arrows at those which Darunia couldn't reach or would be at a too awkward angle to be actually hit. The four children took turns in firing, so they could continuously fire at the enemy aircraft while ensuring they couldn't take advantage of the gaps that were left between firing and reloading.

The four children aided Darunia in taking down several enemy airships, sending the soldiers down to the ground, some of them becoming stuck on the gears and or end up being crushed among the cogs that kept moving about without pause.  
"EVERYONE, KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR SURROUNDINGS!" Reimu barked to the other pilots, as if to prevent them from suffering a similar gruesome fate.  
Thankfully each of the other Gerudo airships had one controlling it and a second Gerudo being in charge of weapons control, with the only exception being Reimu's own ship for obvious reasons. Reimu took a few sharp turns while avoiding as many of the gears and enemy fire where possible, while Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Darunia helped in retaliating and destroying enemy airships, with the four children going so far as to intercept those trying to attack the escorting Gerudo ships.  
"So far, so good, keep it up; we've gotten them almost down!" Leia exclaimed to them as she watched the enemy numbers dwindling rapidly.  
The group continued on shooting at the enemy craft until none of them were left pursuing them in this area, allowing the group some reprieve.  
"Wow, if this keeps up, we'll be running out of arrows and bombs more rapidly than expected." Link said.  
"Don't worry, I've got a stash of both of them on this vessel, just take what you need in order to fend them off." Reimu said, opening a hatch close to Darunia's position that revealed a good stock of bombs and arrow bundles to use as ammunition.  
"Thanks, Reimu." Zelda said as she and Link restocked right away, before letting Saria and Ruto restock as well, ensuring they had plenty of ammo on their hand in case it was needed.

Once the fleet had gathered once more and the children had restocked on ammo, Reimu proceeded onward with her airship into another door, which opened up, leading into a corridor where several pillars were in the center and in offsets to the left and right as if making it obstructions for the group to pass over them. Reimu was taking it slow to prevent the children from falling off or otherwise damage her airship, wanting to be sure the group reached the other side safely. After passing by the pillars, another set of doors opened, revealing a room that had pillars on the sides and a pool of water at the bottom.  
"Wow, they really must have taken their time with this place." Link said.  
"I'll say; this is much bigger than I actually expected it to be." Zelda said, nodding.  
"Yeah. I wonder how they have been able to build this in over less than a year's time…" Saria said.  
"Probably they used magic or the tower itself must have existed for some time, it's distant location made it simply fade into obscurity in a way that we just never heard of it." Impa said.  
"Those are the only probably causes." Nabooru said.  
Reimu sighed as she moved through a corridor, blocked initially by a set of doors which opened up one after the other, leading into a much larger room with pillars all around the place and murky water at the bottom.  
"Wow, what in the world did they have in mind with this?!" Nabooru asked as she looked around.  
"I don't know, but it looks like it has no actual purpose other than just being a supporting room…" Reimu said, but then Link suddenly spotted something.  
"Enemy vehicles approaching from behind!" He exclaimed as he prepared his Silver Bomb Arrows once more.  
"All hands to the weapons! We must fend them off until we have diminished their numbers!" Reimu said, moving to steer on to pull off evasive maneuvers where needed.

This time, the battle was more fierce as the enemy appeared more numerous this time around, thankfully the other ships offered assistance right away.  
"Oh man, talk about an air strike…" Link said.  
"I'll say… what the-?!" Zelda then said as one of her Silver Bomb Arrows hit one of the pillars by accident, immediately causing it to crumble down into the murky water below, taking several enemy ships with it.  
"Watch the pillars!" Leia said as one Gerudo also made a pillar collapse while shooting down enemy ships along the way.  
"YIKES! Low bridge!" Link said as a pillar crumbled down just beside him, missing Reimu's ship, but taking out several enemy ships which he had missed.  
"WATCH IT!" Nabooru said as parts of another pillar narrowly missed her as it collapsed from another Gerudo ship shooting at it, the debris colliding against another enemy ship, although it did cover an enemy shot that struck Reimu's ship from the side, in retaliation Saria fired a Silver Bomb Arrow at the enemy's engines, sending it careening out of control and towards the water, only to collide with the already sinking debris from an already destroyed pillar, destroying the ship.  
The whole fight lasted only for a few minutes, despite the numerous enemy ships. The pillars did an excellent job in 'helping' in dwindling the numbers of the enemy soldiers rapidly, although most of them were shot down. Reimu's fleet didn't come out unscathed though; while all of the group were still alive and all, their ships were showing signs of damage.  
"Darn, that was a bit too close for comfort." Reimu said.  
"Sis, your ship…" Leia said.  
"I know. We should still be able to make it to where we have to take our friends, but after that we may need to repair the ships…" Reimu said as the fleet regrouped and took off for the other side, past an entrance between two pillars and entering a corridor, leading into a large tunnel, where four spinning wheels were present, the first and third spinning clockwise and the second and forth one spinning in a counter-clockwise direction. Each of the spokes had spikes on them, although there were large openings between them, allowing the fleet to fly through in turns.  
"I have no idea where these machinery are for and frankly I don't want to know either." Link said.  
"That makes two of us." Zelda said, shivering as the group moved on to the far side of the room itself, seeing an exit in the form of a circular passageway that led into a room with numerous pillars at the side and mirrored tiles on the floor.  
"Well, this is as far as we can take you. We can't go any further than this, for which I'm sorry." Reimu said as the group entered a room with a gate opening above.  
"It's alright, Reimu. At least you could take us for as far as you could." Nabooru said as the gate closed up once the rest of the fleet had entered the room itself as well, the ships gently parking on the ground before the engines were shut down.  
Link and the others disembarked from Reimu's ship, smiling.  
"You need any help?" Saria asked.  
"Thanks for the offer, but we can manage. Just be careful when you go up there, Ganondorf and Majora are waiting for you at the top." Reimu said.  
"We'll keep it in mind, Reimu. Thanks for the help." Zelda said.  
"If we'll make it through and Hyrule is safe, I'll make sure you'll be rewarded for your efforts." Nabooru said.  
"Thank you, Lady Nabooru. It is an honor with such a wonderful leader such as yourself." Reimu said, bowing politely.  
Nabooru smiled, patting Reimu on the shoulder, before she and the others moved on down the corridor which had this time a purplish hue to the tiles of the floor and the walls, while further up ahead the bluish hue from the inner section returned. The corridor was long, that was for certain, but the thing that was out of place was the deadly silence that resonated in the area; that is the only sounds being audible being the group's footsteps and their breathing whenever they were standing still…

Hopping down a hole ahead, the group arrived in a completely different room. The first things to note were that the tiles on the walls and the ground now had a yellowish hue to it and a circular staircase was up ahead. Seeing this, Link went to the room available below the staircase itself and just sat down, indicating he wanted to rest up a bit before he would continue on. The Sages went to join him, obviously understanding his point and reason in that. Link and the Sages could already feel the ominous presence of their nemesis being strong, which indicated they should be close to the top. Link sighed, although there was a bit of a smile on his face.  
"Well, I guess this is it, huh?" He asked.  
"It appears so. It's been quite a long trip to get all the way here…" Zelda said.  
"Considering what we have gone through up to this point, I believe the whole thing must have been working on our bodies as well…" Saria said.  
"What do you mean?" Ruto asked.  
"Face it, we've been teleported to one of the most hellish regions in Termina, got ambushed by Stalfos, had to deal with a prancing prick multiple times, entered an unknown land with an unknown, mystical history, dealt with death and resurrection, went through outposts in a forest and a vast lava sanctuary, went into a rather empty temple, entered a vast mountain area, went through an underground base that is likely destroyed now and finally this entire frigging tower," Saria said, "if this hasn't done anything to our bodies physically as in making us stronger, I don't know what has."  
"Saria has a point," Link said, "all the traveling we did on foot and all must have improved our condition one way or another. Now that I think of it, my legs did feel kinda sore on several occasions, but since I was too focused on the objective at hand, I either ignored it or just bit through the pain."  
The others nodded at this, while Darunia smiled.  
"That's my Sworn Brother, never giving up no matter the odds." Darunia said, patting Link on the back, making the boy on his turn yelp at this.  
"But now that we have gotten this far, how are we going to handle this?" Ruto asked.  
"We'll see if the two first play up to their usual fighting styles, or if they want to first figure out whether they can find a way to counter our new skills. My Dark Self may have fallen for the Mortal Draw technique successfully, but I feel certain that Ganondorf knows better and would try to strike me from afar, probably trying to set up a Dead Man's Volley game. As for Majora, he may try to use his Mask again to attack at first, perhaps summon remains of the bosses we've beaten before to further antagonize us, use a fire beam of its own which we can use the Mirror Shield to counter or use its tendrils to attack, I don't know for sure." Link said.  
"Right. You should keep us posted on Majora's attacks, since you're the only one of us whom have fought him in person." Rauru said.  
"That I will. It's only a matter of staying alive and keeping a close watch on our nemeses."  
"Right. We should rest up for as much as we can; we probably need every bit of energy we have at our disposal to properly fight them, even though we are still having the benefits of unlimited magic, thanks to the Chateau Romani we drank at the underground headquarters yesterday." Zelda said.  
"So it's only today and tomorrow that we can benefit from it before it wears off?" Saria asked.  
"That's right. I feel it will be more than useful in the time to come." Link said.  
"No specific time planned?" Nabooru asked.  
"I just have no idea how long this will take." Link said.  
"Point taken."  
"I'll keep watch, just in case." Darunia said as he moved up to the entrance of the crevice underneath the staircase the group sat in.  
"Right. Even though this isn't exactly comfortable, we'll just have to make the best of it." Link said, yawning as he moved into a for him comfortable position to rest in, using his quiver as a makeshift cushion.

A few hours later, the group woke up, feeling well rested as they geared up once more. Although they had been asleep for a decent time, to say that it was pleasant would came out wrong. Link in particular suffered from a harsh nightmare in which he and his friends were overtaken/covered by the lava during their escape from the doomed headquarters or otherwise falling into the lava due to platforms collapsing or enemies kicking them off. This was in particular caused during Link's initial travels in the Fire Temple and Death Mountain Crater in the Future that Almost Was, coupled with a few close calls in the Gerudo Training Grounds, Ganon's Tower and the lava outpost with the hidden temple altogether. However, since he knew it were just a couple of bad dreams, Link didn't make too much of a fuzz about it, even more when he remembered that he and the others had very much survived through it all up to this point, fueling his drive to finally put an end to the suffering and misery that Ganondorf and Majora had caused and bring back peace and prosperity to Hyrule. He sincerely hoped the Triforce by itself would help in repairing the damage done, even if it was to restore life to the ruined parts of the lands which the forces of Ganondorf and Majora had laid waste to, Hyrule Field in particular. Zelda also hoped that they could rob Ganondorf of that Triforce of Power he had in his possession and complete the Triforce for their own wish to restore peace to their homeland. Nabooru on her turn wished she could brighten up the reputation of the Gerudo tribe now that this all had taken place. Gerudos in general weren't exactly viewed as good people because of their thieving skills and usual disdain for men, but it was definitely apparent that even the Gerudo had standards; as of now, the majority of the tribe has shunned Ganondorf and his vile, despicable ways and would rather live with an outsider as their ruler instead of following the Gerudo laws of accepting him, considering the statement that every male Gerudo born should automatically become King, seeing as males are born once every 100 years among the tribe itself. Ruto had her wish of purifying the Zora's domain and by extension the Zora River and Lake Hylia, mostly due to her concern that the deity her people worshipped, Lord Jabu-Jabu, would feel 'green around the gills' shortly again if the area remained unchecked. Saria wished to purify the forest on her turn and perhaps help in kick-starting the growth of a new Deku Tree, seeing as Ganondorf had killed the Great Deku Tree itself and felt that the forest needed a guardian in case of her and Link's absence. On top of that, it would also guarantee the safety to her fellow Kokiri so they could once again play outside, like before. Speaking of which, the Kokiri themselves were still in their homes, trying to pick up their lives as much as they can, hoping that Link and Saria somehow have gone to a nicer place together, where they are free of the worries and other bad things that have been bothering them ever since Link initially returned to them so long ago. Impa and Rauru on their turn didn't have any specific wishes, although Impa suspected something was going on in the Kakariko Well, so she would have to find a way to strengthen the seal again, while Darunia on his turn wanted to ensure the Gorons would still be able to mine the rocks from Dodongo's Cavern without anyone trying to seal the entrance again. As long as it would ensure that the Gorons would not be deprived of their primary source of food ever again…

Straightening his outfit, Link moved to the base of the staircase, sighing as he braced himself for the inevitable, the Sages joining him as they walked up the circular staircase.  
"This reminds me more of Ganon's Tower itself, although this staircase is a bit shorter when going in a circle…" Link said.  
"Really?" Saria asked.  
"Yes, coupled with the fact that those stairs had red carpet on it in the center area…" Link said, as the group reached the top of the first staircase, seeing a corridor with a door in the center of the wall to the right and another staircase at the far side of the corridor.  
"Well, looks like they can keep people in suspense…" Saria said as the group moved onward to the second staircase… only to receive a slight scare as the door suddenly opened up as they passed by, revealing a hidden room…  
"What the-?!" The group said in unison, deciding to check it out.

Entering the open doorway, the group entered a room with two pillars that each had green torches within them to illuminate the area, which was for the rest empty.  
"Is this some kind of a joke?" Ruto asked.  
"Wait, there's a net down here hanging against the wall…" Zelda said, having made a turn to the right and spotting the net.  
"I can also see platforms on a higher level… perhaps it's leading to something…" Saria said.  
"Let's check it out, perhaps it will lead to something…" Link said, moving to Zelda as she went already up the net, followed by Saria.  
"We have to take a good jump from here…" Zelda said.  
"I can arrange something…" Saria said, before using her powers to create vines in the lines in lieu of a bridge for the group to safely cross the gap to a set of wooden planks which went to the right.  
Turning to the right, they came across a large path with a small corridor leading into a room with several Business Scrubs. Initially trying to attack, the Business Scrubs were immediately foiled in their defenses by a safe Goron Pound courtesy of Darunia. Immediately after that, one of the Business Scrub, whom apparently looked in charge of the whole set, approached them.  
"Please, quit it! We'll never do it again. If we'll offer you some of our merchandise, will you let us go?!" He asked.  
"What do you have?" Darunia asked.  
"Everything you need: Arrows, Bombs, Deku Nuts, Deku Seeds, Deku Sticks, Bombchus, Potions, you name it." He said.  
"Well, this is very convenient; we need to restock anyway." Link said, smiling.  
"Alright. Speak to one of my charges to get the items you need." The Lead Business Scrub said.  
"It's kinda funny to do a bit of shopping before facing our nemeses…" Zelda said.  
"Well, as long as have plenty of ammo…" Saria said, giggling.  
"True."

After purchasing what they needed on ammunition and medical supplies (being just the Red Potion), the group thanked the Business Scrubs and made their way back down into the corridor, moving to the right to the second staircase. Going up the stairs, they blinked at seeing another corridor with yet another staircase at the far side and several chests at the walls. Opening the chests, the group blinked at seeing they all contained Silver to Giant Rupees, each with the 100 to 200 Rupee value.  
"Wow…" Saria said.  
"I guess these could be collected in case we were running short on Rupees…" Link said.  
"Let's leave them for now, I doubt we have much use for them on this part." Impa said.  
"You're right. Let's go." Zelda said.  
Leaving the rupees for what they were for now, the group moved towards the last staircase. At its base, Link stopped for a brief moment, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. Zelda and Saria understood this all too well.  
"Well, this is it. No more turning back, the fate of the world lies on our shoulders." Link said, looking up before he and the Sages went to ascend up the third staircase, possibly one of the longest as it went up and up and up… Being one of the last to move up, Impa took a brief look behind her, before joining the rest. After about a minute or two, the group finally arrived at the top of the tower, which by itself looked like a large, circular arena with a rocky wall surrounding it, preventing them from falling off. Looking around, the group noticed they were really high into the air; looking to their left, they could see the Stone Tower in the far distance, while on the lower areas, they could see the landscapes of both Termina and Hyrule beneath it, including the ruined Hyrule Castle… but they all seemed so distant from their current height…  
"So, you have finally arrived…" a dark voice said.  
Looking forward, Link and the Sages immediately saw someone with his back turned to them, showing off the cape he was wearing. They all recognized him right away, due to the flaming red hair and the sickly greenish skin, wearing the black knight's armor that was a trademark of his, as well as those unnatural red eyes. It was Ganondorf in person and he seemed unnaturally calm…  
"I didn't think you would even be bold enough to scale this tower completely, much less having lasted against our forces…" He said, before turning to the group…


	53. Chapter 53: An unexpected turn of events

_Chapter 53: An unexpected turn of events_

Link and the Seven Sages were immediately on full alert, seeing Ganondorf standing there, his arms crossed, a scowl on his face instead of a more devilish grin. Behind them, the doorway to the staircase leading to the rooms below closed and sealed up, effectively trapping the entire group on top of the tower by itself. The group didn't pay attention to this, their focus being mostly set to the nemesis in front of them, who stared them down in a form of almost unnatural calmness that hid the anger, despite the expression showing that he was, suffice it to say, none too pleased with seeing the group.  
"Insolent pests," Ganondorf said, sighing in annoyance, "it angers me that you have been able to get here so swiftly. Nonetheless, I must commend you for being able to get this far; no mere mortal has ever scaled this tower and lived to tell… if they didn't end up being caught and brainwashed or imprisoned that is…"  
"Hmph. That's so like you to show no remorse…" Zelda said.  
"The only thing I'm sorry for is that I didn't kill you sooner; you've been working against me ever since you found me out. But no matter; this saves me the trouble of going after you instead, so now I'll take your powers by force." He said.  
"Think again, Ganondorf; you won't get us again like last time." Link said.  
"Getting bold, are we?" Ganondorf asked.  
"You bet; unlike you, we've been working hard to get here." Saria said.  
"That I can see. Too bad it's all for naught…" Another voice said, just as a floating mask appeared from behind Ganondorf.  
"Majora… I almost thought you weren't here." Link said smugly.  
"You certainly have become quite cheeky with such an attitude…" Majora said.  
"If I had a rupee each time I heard that…"  
"Oh, that's it. When you die here, your corpse will be displayed on a spot for everyone to see as a sign of what will happen when you defy us!" Majora said.  
"Like that will ever happen." Ruto said.  
"Do you have any idea whom you're dealing with?" Ganondorf asked, narrowing his eyes.  
"Of course we do, two arrogant pricks who enjoy seeing innocent people suffer." Zelda said.  
"That does it, have at you!" Majora said, charging up his fiery eye laser attack and fired it towards Zelda… only for the princess to bring out her Mirror Shield and deflect the attack towards Ganondorf, striking him head on.  
Ganondorf grunted as he was hit, preparing his electric sphere and fired it towards the princess, only for Link to intercept the attack, striking it with his sword, sending it towards Majora who received a hit on his turn as well, being zapped by the electricity from the attack.  
"YEEEEEAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHH! CURSE YOU ALL!" Majora howled as it recovered from the attack as tendrils appeared from its back, only for Link to suddenly leap at it and struck it with a jump strike.  
"SHUT UP!" Link snarled at the deadly mask.  
"Enough of this, time to meet your doom!" Ganondorf said as he began to float in place.

With that, the Final Battle for Hyrule and Termina began. The Sages first split up in two groups, with Rauru, Darunia, Impa and Nabooru moving to engage Ganondorf in combat, while Zelda, Saria and Ruto came to Link's aid while he fought against Majora. Given the enormous strength of both foes, the heroes decided to attack in numbers on their turn, knowing that using co-operation would continuously put pressure on the enemies, giving them little to no chance to charge up a potentially dangerous attack. Link decided to keep the Purified Fierce Deity Mask aside for the time being, intending to use it as a last resort due to the massive power it contained by itself and by extension give Ganondorf and Majora an even harder time as soon as the right time to use it was at hand. But for now, it seemed as if the battle was even. In the air, the sky was getting darker as the dark clouds kept bellowing around the top, almost making it pitch black, although briefly illuminated by the lightning strikes that appeared at regular intervals within the clouds. This all perfectly added to the atmosphere of the arena itself, with in the far distance the sky being an eerie beige/yellow, while the black clouds themselves were almost like a static disk circling around the whole parameter of the tower by itself, increasing in layers the closer one would be to the top of the tower.

Zelda struck Majora's Mask with a Silver Light Arrow, sending the deadly creature to the ground, after which Link and Saria engaged it with their Golden Swords, striking relentlessly at it as if both received a good measure of payback for what has been done to them not so long ago, before the Mask used its tendrils to grab the children and zap them with electricity, before tossing them against the rocky edge of the arena. Zelda and Ruto followed up with another Silver Light Arrow, once again stunning the Mask, before Ruto went in and struck the Mask several times, before using her Water Sage abilities to teleport behind Majora, avoiding its tendrils the first time and striking it in the back with her Nice Boomerang, right as Link and Saria recovered and went back in the fray. Using Link's knowledge of Majora itself as a whole, the four children had some form of advantage, even though Majora seemingly had no difficulties taking them all on. This was not just because the four have been active on the battle field for some time, but they were also still children in a way; their small bodies allowed a certain level of agility with them that made them a bit harder to catch, even more when their form of teamwork was that one or two proved a distraction for the others to strike at the Mask, deflecting its own attacks were necessary.

Ganondorf on his turn generated multiple of his electric blasts in rapid succession, but Nabooru and Impa intercepted them, striking the spheres with their blades to swat them aside or towards Ganondorf, where Ganondorf either blocked them or where the spheres he fired collided with the ones headed for him, effectively cancelling them out. This was more done as a diversion as Rauru prepared a larger Light Sphere attack, in lieu of a Light Arrow of his own to stun Ganondorf with as he fired it, scoring a direct hit on the Dark Lord, sending him to the ground. This allowed Darunia to charge at him and deliver a serious pounding to the male Gerudo.  
"That one was for Link and this one is for Zelda!" Darunia said, slugging Ganondorf twice in the stomach, like how he hurt Link and Zelda badly back at the ruined Hyrule Castle all those days ago.  
Darunia never forgot what happened on that fateful day, seeing Ganondorf ruthlessly slugging first Link in the stomach before draining him of whatever strength he had left and tossing the Master Sword aside as if it was nothing, after which the Evil King unceremoniously kicked Link away from the ruined Hyrule Castle Tower, dooming him to die a slow, painful death back then. Ganondorf then turned his attention to Zelda, whom attacked and hit him the second after Link was sent flying, with Zelda being treated to a similar punch in the stomach before she was blasted away with a magic blast in a similar style to how Link was kicked away. Darunia had silently sworn to himself to avenge his Sworn Brother, even after the resurrection and now he was making good on that oath, although he also knew Impa wanted to take a shot at him as well. Ganondorf grunted as he was slugged in the stomach multiple times by Darunia's Fire Punch Combo, before using a dark explosion wave to throw him off, only for Impa to appear from the shadows and slashed at his face, cutting him on the cheek and the chest area before he knocked the Sheikah woman away, intercepting Nabooru in the process. This moment of reprieve allowed Ganondorf to float up again, now ready to charge a bigger attack. Rauru intervened by blasting him with a powerful Light spell, stunning Ganondorf to make the attack he was charging strike him instead, sending Ganondorf down to the ground, allowing Impa and Nabooru to strike, with Nabooru using her Golden Sword Spark and Impa just slashed away at him, at several points striking the scars of what remained of the wounds that Link and Zelda both inflicted on him before.

Majora however was having a rather hard time against the four children; whenever it was focusing on attacking any one of them, the others were pelting its vulnerable backside with arrows, bringing it down in order for the group to strike at it with force. As they say: Payback is a bitch and she's back in heat! Majora then twirled around like a saw blade, trying to cut the four in half, but its attempts were cut short due to either clashing against their shields, before Link used the Great Spin to stun the mask again, allowing Saria to strike it again as a form of payback on her side once more. After several slashes, Majora grabbed the four children in its tendrils and tossed them towards the far side of the arena, before transforming into Majora's Incarnation, with the thin arms and legs and the single eye on its head, attempting to pelt the group with a rapid-fire onslaught of energy spheres. Link was prepared for this however and went on the defensive, blocking the attacks with his shield, before rolling to the side and striking Majora with an arrow, stunning it. Majora howled as it once more was stunned, allowing the four children to rush in and keep striking it.

Ganondorf on his turn was getting frustrated at the relentless attacks from his four opponents. Having had enough after being pelted with a Light Arrow for the 5th time now, followed by a few strikes of the others nearby, he decided to play their game and remained on the ground level this time around, drawing two blades of his own in order to engage the four adults. In retrospect, he saw the irony in this current stand-off; Majora had been acting like a child despite its crazy behavior and tremendous power through curses and he was now up against four children, while he, the Great Ganondorf, was more mature and held his own against four adults. However he wasn't stupid; he knew that these people were likely able to succeed in thwarting his plans again, although he would be able to put up a decent fight. He narrowed his eyes as he saw Nabooru approaching, preparing to engage him. Deciding to actually fight her, Ganondorf charged, forcing the Gerudo on the defensive as she moved to block and parry every strike he made.  
"Such a shame to see such a strong woman fight against one of her own." Ganondorf quipped as he attempted a double cutting swipe with his blades, which Nabooru avoided.  
"Shut your face!" Nabooru snarled, jumping up to perform a double spin attack.  
Ganondorf grunted as he blocked the strike, trying to strike her in her side, only for Nabooru to flip over him and perform a successful Back Slash technique, hurting him.  
"You could have been anything you desired if you only would follow me." Ganondorf said, smacking Nabooru aside with the hilt of the sword in his right hand, before moving to engage her again.  
"SHUT UP! I'll NEVER bow down to someone so despicable as you!" Nabooru roared back, being forced on the defensive once more.  
"So be it then." Ganondorf said, swinging his blades down to where he almost cut Nabooru's head off, but Nabooru blocked the attack with her own swords, before slashing at the Evil King's body herself with another Dual Spin attack, this time forcing him on the defensive.  
Ganondorf eventually managed to kick Nabooru away and attempted to charge at her, only for Darunia to intercept him and clobbered him in the face, stunning him enough for Impa to deal in several strikes with a Shadow Clone. Ganondorf on his turn eventually kicked Impa herself away and cut her Shadow Clone in two, effectively dispelling it before turning his attention to Rauru as he finished preparing another Light Sphere to stun him, avoiding the strike by teleporting beside the old Sage and knocking him to the side, only to be hit in the back by another Back Slash from Nabooru. Grunting, he smacked Nabooru to the side, before dashing at her and thrusting his swords down to the ground, although Nabooru rolled out of the way in time to prevent herself from being impaled onto the arena floor, using the momentum of her roll to get back on her feet and regain her swords she had dropped when Ganondorf struck her. Growling, Ganondorf attempted to attack her again, only to be intercepted by a set of fireballs courtesy of Darunia, the Goron Leader showing he still had a bone to pick with the Evil King for not only first depriving his people from their primary food source, but also imprisoning them in the Fire Temple in the Future That Almost Was, to be fed to the dragon Volvagia as a form of ritual sacrifice, mostly to show to the other races what would happen if they were to oppose Ganondorf's reign. He was grateful Link came to save them, before coming to aid him in slaying the evil dragon.

At the same moment, Majora was now angrier than ever after he was hit several times more by the four children whom clearly weren't impressed by his crazy routine of dancing and prancing. It even went so far as Saria using her vines to intercept Majora to hold him in place so Ruto, Link and Zelda had the time to catch up with him and attack him. Howling to the sky after smacking the four away for the moment, Majora then began to pump up its muscles, transforming into Majora's Wrath as it now towered over the four children and the adults altogether. Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto grueled at the sight of Majora's muscles rapidly swelling, coupled with tendrils growing on its hands which it now used to attack in a whip-like fashion after completing his transformation, managing to strike Link, Saria and Zelda with it before Ruto fired a Silver Light Arrow at it to stun it, the Zora Princess moving in with several strikes of her own before Majora teleported to the far side of the arena and struck Ruto in the same fashion as it did with her friends before. Link however wasn't stupid and pressed on, firing a Silver Light Arrow on his turn that struck Majora in the face, causing the monstrous behemoth to shriek in sheer agony, which in turn began to break parts of the rocky edge apart, sending them floating into the air.  
"Curse you all… I hate you… I HATE YOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU!" Majora howled as it promptly grabbed Link and Zelda in one tendril and Saria and Ruto in the other, before rearing them up into the air and smashing them on the ground, causing the four to yelp in pain as they landed face-first onto the ground, after which Majora just repeated this brutal move before callously tossing the four to the side, making them land on the ground before striking them to the wall like bowling pins, causing Saria and Ruto to get dazed for a moment.  
Now getting pissed himself, Link got up, before pouring energy into his Golden Master Sword.  
"The feeling's completely mutual, Majora!" He said, before he felt a hand on his own which held his sword.  
Turning to his left, he saw Zelda looking at him. Like Link, she was battered and had several injuries all over, but still battle-hardened and ready to strike. Nodding at him, Zelda then helped Link by raising his sword with him while holding her own sword in her other hand, before both children thrusted the sword forward, launching a golden Sword Beam at the monstrosity, striking it head on. One more Majora howled in agony as it collapsed of the sheer pain the attack inflicted on it, its body shimmering with the sacred Golden Light of justice. This alone wasn't enough to take Majora down so easily though, as he got up, using a Spin Attack of his own to knock Saria and Ruto to the side, before promptly kicking Link and Zelda both to the other side of the arena again, after which he proceeded to use his tendrils as whips to strike them, performing a Rapid Whip Barrage on both the hero and the princess, leaving red gashes on their backs as well as a few holes and tears in their respective outfits. Both Link and Zelda yelped as they were hit several times, before Majora grabbed them and tossed them unceremoniously to the far side of the arena again, the two bouncing off the rocky wall before landing on the ground, grunting as they landed. This also proved to be an opportunity for Saria and Ruto, as they recovered from the Spin Attack, they moved in together to strike Majora with Silver Light Arrows of their own, stunning him long enough to strike him several times before Majora performed a back flip in order to escape from the two children, which in turn allowed Saria to focus her own Sage powers to heal Link and Zelda to a degree, able to lessen the injuries on their backs while Ruto used a Water Spout to douse Majora in water, sending him momentarily into the air before he landed flat on his face on the ground with a *THUD*. Link and Zelda both managed to get up after a minute thanks to Saria's healing powers, bringing them back into action.  
"Thanks, Saria." Zelda said, smiling while Link nodded in kind.  
"Don't mention it. Now let's get back at that freakazoid." She said, her two friends nodding, before the three went to assist Ruto in tackling the insane monstrosity.

Ganondorf on his turn was also brought to his knees as the distraction provided by Nabooru was enough for Rauru to strike him in the chest with another Golden Light Sphere, causing the Evil King to grunt in sheer pain at this. He looked up towards them in great anger, not believing he was being bested, again! Getting up, he managed to fire a dark blast at Rauru to knock him to the ground, before grabbing Impa and Nabooru and bashed their heads against each other, causing the two women to grunt and hold their heads in pain, only for Ganondorf himself being fiercely knocked to the ground by another Fire Punch courtesy of Darunia. Sitting up and looking to his right, Ganondorf saw Majora writhing in agony from being hit with the Silver Light Arrow by the four children. Seeing Impa, Darunia and Nabooru approach, Ganondorf used his own dark powers to teleport next to Majora, standing next to the fallen behemoth.  
"As much as I hate it to say, I have to admit that you have improved a lot in comparison to the last time we met. Then it's safe for me to say that this is going to take longer than I expected." He said, looking around at the group.  
"What are you talking about?! You're through, finished! Hand over the Triforce of Power and begone from this place forever!" Zelda said.  
Ganondorf however smirked at the Hyrulean Princess, chuckling even.  
"You seem to have gathered the same wit and attitude as that forest kid whom became the fabled Hero of Time… amazing what spending time with him has done to your spirit…" He said as he picked Majora up, whom was hanging a bit limply as he held him by the neck, with only Majora's calves, feet and tendrils remaining on the ground, "however, I wouldn't give yourself or your beloved friends for that matter any form of decoration just yet, Zelda… because this battle isn't finished by a long shot… in fact, it has only JUST BEGUN!"  
With that, Ganondorf suddenly thrusted his free hand into Majora's back, causing the monstrous creature to howl in agony as dark energy flooded his entire being, causing Link and the Sages to look at this in utter shock and horror, while Ganondorf himself only had this sick grin on his face. It was then that flames appeared all around Majora, being blue and black flames that began to eat away at his entire body, as if it was disintegrating right in front of them.  
"YOU MONSTER!" Link and Zelda both shouted in utter disgust as they witnessed Majora writhing away within the flames, his body deflating as if its energy was being drained from it, initially reducing Majora's body to nothing more than an empty, lifeless husk of which the head, arms and legs soon vanished, leaving only the Mask of Majora behind. Ganondorf then willed the Mask to attach itself to his own chest, merging it with its own armor as tendrils shot out to engulf the armor as a whole, turning the once black armor into a sickly flesh-colored wall of pure muscle, with the mask itself now serving as the armor plating by itself, retaining the spikes that now were set on his shoulders and on his sides. During this scene, Rauru, Nabooru, Impa and Darunia all regrouped with Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto, who stood together by each other, watching the scene unfold, although Link had prepared another Light Arrow, intending to fire at it at any moment's notice. Ganondorf chuckled at this.  
"Fools… while I commend you on having made it this far and having held out up until now, you are overlooking a minor detail; that we have been improving on our own skills too. It may haven't looked like it, but trust me when I say you haven't seen anything yet." He said, right before his eyes changed to the dark eyes that belonged to Majora.  
Link immediately was on guard, his bow at the ready, while the Sages stood by to assist him. Ganondorf saw this and chuckled again.  
"So… hero… you and your royal girl called me a monster?" He then asked, addressing Link and Zelda directly as he had a sick grin on his face, "allow me to show you the TRUE face of the 'monster' that you see before you."

With that, Ganondorf first showed off the mark of the Triforce of Power on his hand, before hunched over at first and grunted as he tightened every muscle in his arms and legs. Before Link and the Sages could react or even respond to it, they could hear the unmistakable sound of bones snapping and resetting as Ganondorf's body began to convulse and jerk all over in place, right before his body began to grow. But as his body grew, his muscles were bulging and growing along with him, his form beginning to change as his legs snapped backwards in form and his feet becoming boar-like, as spikes also emerged from his head, standing upward while his hair grew partially over his back. Tusks appeared from either side of his jaws, becoming as sharp as predatorily fangs but the most disturbing thing was that he just kept growing… outgrowing the inner ring of the arena as the muscles in his chest, arms and legs grew to hulking proportions, each pulse of energy that flowed through his veins pumping them up until they were big enough to engulf the entire group of heroes. His teeth elongated into menacing fangs that made him even more demonic, while the spikes on his shoulders and sides also grew to where they could easily be used to skewer the group onto each of them.

Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Impa, Darunia and Rauru all watched in utter horror and disgust as the transformation took place, but as it entered its final phase, with the growing of Ganondorf's body length and muscle mass being the most prominent, coupled with the disgusting sounds of bones snapping and readjusting while his vocal cords changed to give the Evil King's voice a far more demonic sound, another emotion came through the entire group… fear! For the first time, Link found himself subconsciously taking a few steps back as Ganondorf… or better yet the entity FORMERLY known as Ganondorf began to tower over them with hulking proportions, becoming higher than the houses in Hyrule Castle Town, while two massive blades appeared within the monstrosity's hands. At specific spots on the bare arms and legs, it appeared as if the skin burst open as veins could be clearly seen through it, these veins beginning to glow green much like the eyes. The hair also received a more radical change, becoming also akin to tendrils on the tips as the normal hair grew down to over the neck. It went so bad that Saria and Zelda both grabbed Link close as the transformation finalized, with Ruto holding Link from behind, while he was stepping closer to the adults. As the transformation was completed, what now stood in front of the group was an entity with the appearance of the beast known as Ganon, but where it had once had a knight's plating as armor was now a fleshy wall of pure muscle, with the armored part being the shape of Majora's Mask with spikes protruding from its sides and shoulders, the tusks circling upward and its jaws bearing razor sharp teeth that could cut through flesh like a knife through butter. The outer part of his hair ended up in tendrils, which he too could use as whips, while in its hands were two massive blades that were bigger than each of the group by itself.  
"No longer am I the beast known to you as Ganon… I am… Ganjora, the one who will end your pitiful lives!" It proclaimed, roaring in the sky as lightning crashed around the area fiercely.


	54. Chapter 54: A hopeless battle?

_Chapter 54: A hopeless battle?_

Link and the Seven Sages watched in utter horror as the now monstrous Ganjora towered over them all like a sick, mutated pig that was covered in nothing else but flesh, bearing the sickly multiple colors of primarily magenta, dark blue, pink and violet/purple, interlaced with bright green-glowing veins pulsating from under the bare skin, while also sporting those soul-piercing eyes from Majora's Mask on the chest, while his normal eyes had green sclera and lacked the presence of irises and pupils. The jewel on its forehead was now acting as a third eye akin to Majora's Wrath, and the sides of his face were protected by two horns that curled outward, ready to skewer anyone close and unfortunate enough to get caught if he would charge at them. He retained some level of clothing through the Gerudo garment around his waist, under arms and around the shoulders, the initial knight plating being completely destroyed during his growth, the only remnants being the torn cape at the back and some garment on the shoulders. His feet had been replaced by boar-like hooves and for the rest he was completely packed with bulging muscles, being actually far more buffer than the Ganon Link had fought in the Future That Almost Was. The fiery red hair also had grown longer, the tips molding together to create tendrils akin to Majora's, and on his shoulders and on his sides were now deadly spikes that were raised to protect them from there. It also grew a tail that was big enough to almost rest on the other side of the arena itself! But the thing that scared the group the most was the sheer size of him; whereas Ganon was already big enough to easily tower over both Link and Zelda and several remains of his old castle, this new Ganjora stood at least at TWICE that height, showcasing the tremendous power combination that both Majora's Mask and the Triforce of Power had pumped into Ganondorf. With a bestial howl and a roar, Ganjora then plunged his oversized blades into the ground of the arena, creating a shockwave that practically launched Link and the Seven Sages off their feet, while at the same time raising the outer ring of the arena itself, where as more of the rocky wall around it began to crumble and tear, some pieces floating up in the air, while others fell all the way down from the tower. Lightning crashed around the area with loud thunderclaps that resonated throughout the area, as if Ganjora's power was big enough to disorient the atmosphere around them.

Reimu and her troops narrowly managed to fly out of the tower itself as parts of it were already beginning to crumble down under the sheer pressure and force of the power increase Ganjora was boasting, coupled with the lava now melting anything that could be melted by it around, varying from the crates that were stacked around to the remaining corpses of Ganondorf and Majora's forces that Link and the Seven Sages had slain before. Whatever lava had risen throughout the inner area of the tower and streamed out of the open windows were now covering most of the tower itself and its surrounding areas, almost appearing as if the world had cracked open on that part and revealed an artificially created volcano which seemed to be contained within the vast mountain area it was located in.  
"Oh, dear Goddesses, look at the size of that monstrosity!" Leia shouted, seeing the silhouette of Ganjora's form sticking out from the position she was in while she looked up at the tower.  
"It's frigging huge!" One of the Gerudo Pirates exclaimed.  
"And our leader Nabooru and her friends are up there! We have to help them!" Another one said.  
"How?! That monster's likely able to keep outsiders out!" A third one asked.  
"We won't stay here and do nothing. Besides, I also have a score to settle with that freak for brainwashing me and almost making me kill my beloved sister. I'll show him that we Gerudo don't need such a vile, despicable ruler that Ganondorf is!" Reimu said, moving to keep a close watch on the battle, waiting for her chance.

Getting up after the harsh landing on the outer ring, Link and the Seven Sages were all faced with the monstrosity known as Ganjora, whose menacingly looked down upon them like they were insignificant insects to it. Ganjora stared at them with those menacing, green-glowing, empty eyes, before heaving another howl which roared like thunder, causing Link and the Sages to cover their ears to prevent their ear-drums bursting from the deafening sound. This was done right before Ganjora thrusted its blades onto the ground again, sending the group flying into the air, before Ganjora smacked them all with the flat portion of the blade in its right hand. The force of the impact alone caused the group to be sent flying over the outer ring to the right, spreading them out a bit so it would take time for them to get together again. At this point, Link and Zelda both landed next to each other, skidding a bit over the outer ring at their landing point before laying still, enough for them to at least try to get up, but their injuries weren't making this easy. Looking behind them, they saw that the other Sages had been spread behind them, but too far to properly catch up due to Ganjora preparing himself for another assault.  
"Darn it! Now he's even more crazy than before!" Link said, observing it for a moment while wiping blood from his mouth.  
"Now what are we going to do?! There's no way we can fight him alone like this…" Zelda said.  
"We're on our own at this for now, but I'm not going to stand here and let him kill us." Link said, looking to his right, seeing that the area there was clear.  
"What are you planning?" Zelda asked, seeing as Link was attempting to move first to ensure he wasn't hindered in his legs from injuries as well as watching at where Ganjora was currently looking at.  
"If Ganjora has the appearance of a mutated Ganon, I'm inclined to think that the tail is his weak point and I'm gonna try to exploit it. You can come with me if you wish, but we need the others to keep him occupied or otherwise keep moving to avoid his attacks!" Link said, tossing his shield aside in order to maintain speed and not wanting the weight of his other equipment, save for the bow and arrows, become cumbersome to him during his movements.  
"Right." Zelda said, just as Link went on his way, Zelda following right away while telepathically contacting the remaining Sages, who understood it, although some of them were badly wounded.

It was as if in this moment, the respective Triforce Pieces that dwelled within both Link and Zelda began to glow on the back of their hands, which in turn empowered the two to run around the outer ring forward while hoping that the Six Sages could keep Ganjora occupied long enough for them to reach its tail, to which they believed to be its weak spot to be attacked. They just didn't care about any gaps or obstacles; they just kept going as if adrenaline was empowering them to run as fast as their legs allowed them to, intent on finishing the fight once and for all. Interestingly, the Six Sages shared this mentality as they did their best to keep Ganjora occupied with the best of their abilities, however Ganjora already noticed something was off; why were only six of those pests attacking it, while he was clearly facing eight?! He then looked around where the other two were, before spotting movement from the left corner of his eyes. Turning into that direction, it saw Link and Zelda running towards its tail. Realizing what it was planning, Ganjora roared angrily and attempted to strike them down with one of its massive blades, only to be hit by a Silver Light Arrow courtesy of Saria. This made it howl in pain for a moment, enough time for the Sages to regroup.  
"LOOK OUT! IT HAS SEEN YOU!" Nabooru shouted towards Link and Zelda, who were almost at the monstrosity's tail.  
Hearing this, Link then grabbed Zelda's hand while continuing onward, hoping the beast would stay stunned long enough to at least get one strike on the tail in. When the tail was in reach, both Link and Zelda drew their blades, ready to strike, but then Ganjora recovered and attempted to strike them down with its massive blades. As it thrusted the blade down however, Link jumped into the air, taking Zelda with him, causing the blade itself to miss them, but get lodged in the side of the outer ring, becoming stuck inside it. Seeing this, Link immediately seized the opportunity to run up Ganjora's massive arm, holding his arms out to the side as if to maintain balance while running towards the tail, which was now curled upward against the far side of the arena, before smacking it with his Golden Master Sword. Hearing Ganjora's howls of pain, Link continued his assault, soon joined by Zelda whom attacked the tail itself as well, while making sure she was out of the way of Link's attacks. The fact that Link himself was left-handed when it came to wielding his Golden Master Sword was very helpful in this. Both managed to deliver several strikes to the beast's tail, before the tendrils of Ganjora's hair picked the both of them up and tossed them off of it, right into the other Sages, knocking Saria, Ruto, Impa and Nabooru over in the process, while Ganjora succeeded in freeing its blade from its position, now free to use it against the group once more.

Link grunted in pain as his head collided with Saria's during their involuntary toss off of Ganjora, while Saria tried to shake the stars out of her head to focus her powers in healing the worst injuries, while Impa held her stomach area after receiving Zelda's feet against it during her landing. Getting up, Impa saw that Ganjora was preparing an electric current between the tips of its horns, as if it was preparing to electrocute the entire group.  
"EVERYBODY RUN! IT'S GOING TO ATTACK!" She said, grabbing Zelda and Ruto along the way.  
Darunia helped Link, Saria and Zelda up while Rauru picked up Nabooru, the Gerudo leader rubbing over her jaw as if checking there weren't any loose teeth from the impact of Zelda's head against it, or otherwise the area swelling from the impact. With the group now on the run, the electric current missed them safely due to them constantly moving, but Ganjora wasn't giving up so easily. It then used the tendrils on its hair to strike at the arena a few times, intending to either smack or trip the group while they were on the run, intending to reach the tail one way or the other. Thrusting its blades into the ground again, Ganjora launched the group straight into the air, before smacking them in the faces with the flat portion of its left blade. Although grunting in pain, this didn't stop Link in the slightest as he got back on his feet and continued on his way, feeling the energy pulsing in his veins, letting him continue. The Sages on their turn shared this mentality and, despite their own injuries, also kept going as best as they could. It was then that Ganjora reared up and thrusted its chest forward, powering the eyes of Majora's Mask and getting ready to prepare its fire beam from them. Seeing this, Link stopped for a moment and fired a Silver Light Arrow in an attempt to strike the behemoth in the chest to stun it, only for it to block the arrow using one of its humongous blades, before firing the fire laser directly at him. Link now ran for dear life as the fire laser followed his trail closely, almost touching him even, only for Zelda to fire a Silver Ice Arrow at one of the mask's eyes, disabling it and weakening the laser, before Saria used a second Silver Ice Arrow to freeze its other eye. Ganjora howled at this as it hunched over in pain, standing still as it attempted to thaw its chest out. This gave the group some form of reprieve as they now ran on towards the tail. Just then, the ice on the chest shattered as Ganjora itself removed it with force, before turning to face the group once more, rage and hatred clearly visible in its eyes. With a menacing roar, it used one of it blades to sweep down over the arena, although the group clocked him and dove forward on the ground, keeping themselves flat as the blade passed over them, feeling a slight gust of wind blowing from behind due to the momentum of the blade's movement, before getting back up and resuming their way towards their target, although Ganjora wasn't making this easy at all.

After a couple of more of such swipes, alternated with some electric bolts trying to strike them, Ganjora thrusted its blades again into the floor of the arena, the force of the impact sending the group into the air, leaving them vulnerable to another swipe in the face using the flat edge of its blade. Getting back up again, the group resumed their run towards their target, although Ganjora kept turning in their direction, ready to unleash another attack against them, this time in the form of a barrage of electric spheres. While he was hit a few times by them himself, Link recovered and eventually proceeded to smack them back towards Ganjora with his sword and Mirror Shield, intercepting other blasts or otherwise striking Ganjora itself, hurting the beast as it grunted. While the Sages on their turn did receive hits from these blasts as well, they soon joined Link in the retaliation action, sending multiple blasts back at it, until it roared and apparently collapsed enough to lodge the blade into the inner side of the outer ring, allowing the group to run up the beast towards their target. While Link ran ahead with Zelda following close behind him, Saria and Ruto caught up with them, with Saria releasing vines to catch and constrict the tail, allowing the group to strike at the tail with vigor using sword strikes, arrows, punches, Sage abilities and even magic/energy blasts, anything the group could do to strike at their target. Ganjora howled in pain as the tail received hit after hit, whether it was with the Golden Master Sword, Silver Light Arrows, Fire Punches or with other conventional weapons or abilities, which went on for about a good half a minute before the behemoth snagged them all in its tendrils, separating the group for a brief moment, before the tendrils moved them in front of its face, letting the group hang face to face with its own, staring at them with its soul-piercing, green-glowing eyes.  
"You… ignorant buffoons," Ganjora snarled, his voice being bestial in appearance, "don't you realize you're up against the mighty King of Darkness and Destruction?!"  
"Ah… s… screw you!" Link snapped back, trying to wiggle himself free of its grasp.  
"You think you have had the upper hand on me, yet you don't realize that all your efforts are in vain!" Ganjora roared as he then moved the tendrils which it held Link and Zelda captive with, before colliding them with each other, while at the same time letting Impa collide with Nabooru and let Saria and Ruto bash against each other in turn as well. Ruto howled in extreme pain, while Saria mustered her powers to use her vines as a wrench to free her arms, grabbing her bow to prepare a Nice Silver Light Arrow in frustration. Seeing this, Ganjora moved Link and Zelda right into the path of the arrows she fired, with one Silver Light Arrow striking both Link and Zelda in the back, causing the two children to scream in pain, but before Ganjora could laugh at their misfortune, the THIRD Silver Light Arrow of the cluster Saria fired struck it in its snout, causing Ganjora to howl in pain as well as the light of justice stunned it for a brief moment. This was all the time Darunia needed to free his own arms using his own brute strength and pull himself towards Ganjora on the tendril holding him captive and clobbered the beast straight in the left eye, causing it to howl even more as it reared back, using its hands to grip his eye, dropping its massive blades in the process. At the same time, Link pulled the arrow that had hit him out of his back, biting through the pain before pulling his own hands out, retrieving his bow and firing it as another Silver Light Arrow right into Ganjora's other eye, causing it to howl again. However, this only succeeded in making Ganjora even more angry than it already was, first regaining or tightening the grip on the group, before using those tendrils to smash Link and the Sages on the floor of the arena itself.  
"You fools… this is your end!" Ganjora said, putting pressure on the tendrils in an attempt to break the ribcages of the group.  
"Not so fast, monster!" A female voice shouted, before several blasts were fired that struck and severed the tendrils, freeing Link and the Sages in the process.  
Ganjora shrieked in pain as it lost the tendrils used to keep the group captive, looking around for the offender, only for an airship passing by. It was Reimu, whom came to the group's aid using one of the Gerudo Pirates to help her with the cannon, before Reimu moved at first away, before turning around to prepare for another assault. At first, Ganjora fired an electric blast which Reimu avoided, letting her comrade fire the cannon at it, nailing the beast in its face. Now pissed off, Ganjora roared and prepared a blast from its mouth, firing it at Reimu's ship as it moved away.  
"REIMU, LOOK OUT!" Nabooru shouted.  
Reimu saw the blast coming and tried to fly in a position to ensure the blast wouldn't hit too many critical parts… only for another ship to fly up behind her to intercept the blast for her, only for that ship to be destroyed, causing its occupant to be launched from the debris with a scream.  
"LEIA!" Reimu screamed as she saw the woman falling, trying to move after her to catch her, only for another Gerudo ship to arrive and catch her.  
"We got her. She's unconscious, but alive!" its pilot said, making Reimu sigh of relief.  
Seeing this however made Ganjora go mad, unleashing another ear-piercing howl before thumping its massive fists on the ground, destabilizing the tower underneath it, while at the same time breaking the outer ring off of its position, making it float up as a portal opened up high in the sky, before Ganjora itself began to fly upwards, towards the portal.  
"He's trying to get away!" Impa exclaimed.  
"Not on my watch!" Link said, standing up despite being badly wounded and blood seeping from the wound on his back, using his Hookshot to reach one of the now-rising platforms, seeking out the nearest target to reach.  
He was soon joined by Zelda and Saria who, despite their own wounds, shared Link's determination to finally defeat the evil monstrosity.  
"How are we ever going to beat him?! He seems to be growing stronger every minute!" Zelda asked.  
"We've managed to hurt him, but it didn't accomplish much other than making him angry… looks like their union was pulled off far better than I expected." Link said as he kept on making his way to the top, seeing the other Sages approaching as well.  
"But there has to be SOMETHING we can do to defeat him, right?!" Saria asked.  
"You bet there is, but I just don't know what. However I won't rest until he has been defeated!" Link exclaimed, moving higher and higher as he went along on the broken, floating platforms.  
The Sages followed his every move, even though they could see that Ganjora was staring them down, floating in place as if watching them closely. It also seemed quite agitated at them due to seeing them still alive and able to fight. The group could hear it growl, before inhaling and unleashing a roar that had an effect of a vice shout on them, causing the group to cover their ears as they stood on the platforms. Recovering afterwards, Link resumed his way to the top, eventually reaching the highest platform, preparing a Nice Silver Light Arrow, just as some of the other Gerudo ships came to their aid and began pelting Ganjora with their own cannon blasts in their attempt to distract it. This worked as Ganjora was swatting at them now with both its massive hands and its tendrils, allowing Link to charge up his Nice Silver Light Arrow Shot, just as Zelda came next to him, also preparing her attack, soon to be joined by Saria and Ruto. Just as Ganjora turned to them, the four children fired their arrows, striking Ganjora in the face, with several of them striking it in the eyes! Ganjora let out a inhuman howl of agony as the Light of the Silver Light Arrows blasted through its body like a knife through butter, making it at first collapse down to the lower part of the arena, much to the delight of the entire group.  
"Direct hit!" Nabooru shouted.  
"Whew, hopefully that will be the end of it…" Zelda said, wiping the sweat of her forehead.  
"I hope so… we need to get our wounds patched…" Saria said.  
Link however remained on guard and carefully moved to the edge of the platform he was on to look down towards the arena… or what remained of it…

Suddenly, without warning, a bright light shot up from the arena, directly in the center of the platforms that were floating in the air. Immediately, Link jumped back in shock, blinking at the scene, while the Sages were startled and instantly went at Link's side, only for a figure to suddenly float in front of them. This figure didn't look like the monstrous beast form of Ganjora, but had a more Humanoid appearance. In fact, this figure looked like a tall, slightly beefed up version of Ganondorf, while having the green-glowing veins, spikes on the shoulder and the mask-turned chest armor from Majora. It was as if the spikes now became part of the shoulder armor that Ganondorf wore, while it retained those sickly green eyes. This was the Humanoid form of Ganjora, whose hair was now also flaming a bit upward and its teeth retained its carnivorous appearance with the sharp fangs in place of normal teeth. His skin was still a menacing dark color, although it was no longer blue like in its beast form. Tendrils had appeared on the hands, while a few minor ones were still at the hair. It looked quite pissed, while Link instinctively grabbed his sword and shield, the latter he had picked up along with the rest of his gear during the ascension of the platforms a few minutes ago.  
"You are far more resilient than I thought, but it takes more than that to defeat me. You may have slain the monster, but the beast still lives," Ganjora said, "and as long as I have the Triforce of Power in my possession, I doubt you will ever be able to TRULY stop me!"  
"Hey, I defeated both you and Majora once before, what makes you think I can't do it again?!" Link snarled, getting in a defensive position.  
"HAH! You were lucky that time," Ganjora said in Ganondorf's voice, "and for the record, you didn't exactly kill me. Yes, you defeated me, but all you did was making me vulnerable enough for your friends to seal me away in the Sacred Realm. As I was drawn in, I swore to you that I would kill your descendants whenever I would break free from it, but it appears my good friend Majora made things easier for me."  
Ganjora then looked with an amused expression at seeing Zelda drawing her blade as well, also ready to fight, making it chuckle. This made Link and the Sages blink, wondering what the monstrosity was chuckling about.  
"While I should be very pissed off at you for ruining my plans time and time again, coupled with my current powers being able to kill you easily as I did before, I find your defiance of what appears to be your fated doom amusing. That's why I'm issuing a challenge to all of you." Ganjora then said.  
"A Challenge? What challenge?" Impa asked.  
"A very simple one. No new temples, no new puzzles, no new enemies to fight. Just follow me through the portal so we have a more, shall we say, 'comfortable' place to fight in. So if you feel you can still defeat me, all you have to do is follow me through this portal. Your friends can come along too. I'll be waiting for you on the other side." Ganjora said, before it floated up, straight into the portal, laughing menacingly.  
Link and the Seven Sages watched it leave through the portal, dismayed at the sight of their nemesis still alive and well… and apparently stronger than it ever was before.  
"This is just great! NOW what do we do?!" Ruto asked.  
"I wish I knew… we could either stay here and let death come to us, or go in the portal and make our stand there. Either way, it seems Hyrule and Termina will be lost after all…" Impa said, sighing.  
"Not exactly…" Link said, whom was currently holding something in his hands.  
"Huh? What are you on about?" Zelda asked.  
"Remember that day where Majora transported us into the depths of Ikana Canyon and we encountered that Deku Scrub there on the second level of the Skulltula cavern?" Link then asked.  
Zelda blinked at this, getting pulled into a flashback…

_The group swiftly takes out the Deku Babas, each gaining a Deku Stick in the process, while Link also sends the attack of the Deku Scrub back at him by using his Shield. Immediately the Scrub tries to escape after being hit, but Zelda confronts it.  
"Please, miss! I'll never do it again! If I give you some advice, will you let me go?" The Deku Scrub pleaded.  
"Alright, spill it." Zelda said.  
"I overheard this: While most enemies can be beaten easily in a group, some of the more tougher ones require more power and may need to be faced with a fighter of the same caliber. That's all I can tell you." It said, before it left._

"I remember now, it said that some of the tougher enemies required an enemy of the same caliber… I still wonder what he meant by that…" Zelda said.  
"I believe now that he means that such an enemy has to be faced with someone of the same power, instead of fighting in numbers." Link said, his expression as serious as it can be.  
"So, what do you propose then?" Saria asked, overhearing the conversation.  
"Yeah, surely we can't go all the way back to that lava outpost and ask assistance from the Ancient Fire Sage, right?" Impa asked.  
"We won't have to. What I propose is that we as a group combine our powers into a single entity, using this." Link said, before showing the Purified Fierce Deity Mask to the group.  
"Huh? You mean that we use some kind of fusion to even the odds?" Nabooru asked.  
"Yes." Link said.  
"I can see why Link is proposing this," Zelda said, "after all, I DID fuse with him momentarily when we fought against Majora alone in a stone cavern after breaking free from a petrification spell he inflicted on us to turn us into stone…"  
"And we did split back up once he had retreated…" Link said, to which Zelda nodded.  
"I see, so you believe that a fusion between the eight of us will give us the edge against our enemy now?" Darunia asked.  
"I do, but I'm willing to listen to any of your ideas if you have alternatives. Either way, we need to destroy the tools that powers those two or otherwise take it away from them." Link said.  
The Sages nodded.  
"I support Link's idea," Saria then said, making the group turn to her, "if Ganondorf and Majora have combined their bodies and powers in their fashion to best us, what makes them believe we can't do the same to counter it?"  
"Saria has a point," Link said, "after all, there should be always a counter for something…"  
The other Sages went to think about it for a moment.  
"Well, what do we have to lose anyway?" Nabooru then asked, "I'll join in."  
"Very well then. I believe we unanimously agree to Link's proposal. Besides, if the fusion can be undone similar to Link and Zelda's, it's only a matter of just getting in, beat Ganjora and take its power tools before we can go back home." Darunia said.  
"Right," Rauru said, "let's proceed then."  
Link nodded with a smile, while Zelda moved to instruct the others on what they have to do for this…


	55. Chapter 55: Clash of the Titans

_Chapter 55: Clash of the Titans_

On the highest platform of the ruined arena of the tower's top floor, the Six Sages known as Saria, Ruto, Nabooru, Impa, Darunia and Rauru stood in a circle around Link and Zelda, preparing themselves of what could be a risky yet endearing move to finally put an end to the threat that Ganjora poses to the lands of Hyrule, Termina and beyond. Link held his Fierce Deity Mask close, sighing as he tried to stay calm despite the situation. Zelda put a hand on his shoulder.  
"Relax, Link. Once this is over and Ganjora's defeated, we can hopefully move back to our normal lives…" She said, smiling.  
"Thank you, Zelda. I only hope we can eventually come out of this alive." Link said, nodding as he was ready.  
"We all hope that, but we mustn't let that hinder us during our fight, which I know will be very difficult." Rauru said, nodding as he understood Link's concern, as did the other Sages.  
"May the Goddesses be with us." Ruto said, holding her hands to her chest for a moment, before looking up to her left as she felt a hand on her left shoulder, only to see Impa smiling at her with a reassuring nod.  
"Alright, let's do this. For Hyrule, Termina and the rest of the world." Zelda said, to which the Sages nodded.  
When Link got in position, the Sages each prepared themselves in a similar fashion as they did before they opened the gate in the Sacred Realm to seal the defeated Ganondorf inside, turning themselves into wisps that remained in position for a moment, waiting for the Princess of Destiny to do her part. Seeing this, Zelda turned to Link, who smiled as he looked at her.  
"Well, I guess I'll see you all later then." Link said with a smile.  
Zelda giggled, planting a soft kiss on Link's forehead, causing the young hero to blush for a moment.  
"That you will. Just take comfort in the fact that we will be fighting together as one for real this time around." She said, before nodding to him and turning herself into a similar wisp, waiting for Link to do his part.  
"Well, here goes nothing. I hope you're prepared, Ganjora, since we'll be coming for you!" Link said, after which he put the Purified Fierce Deity's Mask on, which instantly clamped around his face, igniting the beginning of the transformation as he felt a rush flowing throughout his insides, bracing himself.  
The instant Link hunched over as the transformation took place, all seven wisps then moved around a little before promptly entering Link's body as he was staying like that by flying directly at him, touching him all at the same time, causing Link to grunt for a moment as the energy flowed into him, coupled with the ongoing transformation…

Having regained herself after the shockwave of Ganjora's new transformation sent her reeling over for a bit before frantically trying to re-stabilize her ship before she would fall off, Reimu first checked on her comrades to see if they were alright, in particularly her sister Leia, whom was still unconscious yet stable. They were still around, although Leia's ship was destroyed due to Ganjora's attack, but one of her comrades managed to intercept and catch Leia before she could fall to her doom from the tower.  
"Will she be alright?" Reimu asked.  
"Give or take a few minutes, she will be back on her feet before you know it." The Gerudo Pirate said, nodding as her comrade was nursing Leia, having bandaged her wounds.  
Before Reimu could reply, there was a white flash, followed by another explosion. This explosion shook the area, while a few platforms around the direct vicinity either partially or completely crumbled into pieces, the debris falling all the way down the tower, onto the ground or within the lava far below. For a split second, there appeared to be a distorted scream that came from the upper area, which was abruptly cut off by the explosion.  
"What was that?!" Reimu asked as she regained balance and brought her airship back under control.  
"LOOK! UP THERE!" Another Gerudo shouted as she saw the source of the explosion by looking up.  
As Reimu and the rest of the Gerudo looked upward, they could see that a rainbow-colored shockwave ring exploded outward, vanishing after a few seconds, while a white aura was present on top of it. This aura was shrinking down slowly, but it was still big enough for the group to see, while the dark clouds directly above the source split open for a brief moment, showing a clear blue sky above before the clouds closed up again, although their color was at first a bit lighter, as if the shockwave from the explosion briefly dispelled the darkness that was in that area altogether.  
"Oh dear… what has happened?!" Another pirate asked.  
"It's likely that our leader and her friends are planning something." The first pirate said.  
Seeing this, Reimu sighed, making up her mind before turning to the Pirate tending to her sister, first gazing sadly down upon her unconscious form. Then, she looked at the pirate herself, determination within her eyes  
"I want you to take good care of my sister. In my absence, she is in command of the fleet once she regains consciousness." She said.  
"What are you going to do?" The Pirate asked, confused and curious.  
"I'm going to help our friends to reach their destination. You can stick around here if you like, but as far as I know, there's nothing else for us to do here." Reimu replied.  
"I understand." The pirate said, nodding.  
"One more thing: when she recovers, tell her… that I'm sorry." Reimu said, before she flew off on her machine.  
"Sorry for what?! Reimu?!" The pirate asked, but Reimu didn't respond as she was now beyond hearing range…  
The Gerudo didn't understand why Reimu was acting like this, but felt that she should heed to her orders.  
_'Ma'am, I hope you know what you're doing…'_ She thought to herself as she watched her leader approach the higher platforms…

As Reimu appeared at the top platform where she found the epicenter of the new explosion and light she saw, she gasped at what she saw. In the center of the platform, was a man, obviously in kneeled position, before getting up. What Reimu saw, was that the man had white hair, facial markings in the appearance of a V-shape mark on his forehead in a glowing blue, while red glowing stripes were present around his eyes and on his cheeks. He wore a light blue tunic underneath a metal cuirass, which bore a lunar crest and triangle on the breast plate while on the belly area was the crest of the Hyrulean Royal Family. On the areas between the lunar crest, triangle mark and the insigna of the Hyrule Royal Family were symbols that were only found on the Sages' Medallions, representing Light, Forest, Fire, Water, Shadow and Spirit. On his hands were metallic gauntlets with gold plating on the top, his legs were covered by black leggings and his boots remained brown in color, although they were now reaching to just below the kneecap. His eyes were completely white, lacking the presence of irises and pupils which left only the sclera, but what bothered Reimu the most so far was his height, as if the man stood two heads taller than a normal adult Hylian. In his hand he held a large, double helix-edged sword, which was now pure gold in color instead of the turquoise and green, which by itself could inflict even more damage than the original by the mere size alone, coupled with the power that was flowing through it! The man relaxed, before spotting Reimu, remaining silent. Deciding not to press on it, Reimu sighed.  
"I want to help you to take you to the portal to the one you seek." Reimu bluntly said.  
The man nodded, moving to her airship to get on board, making sure his massive sword didn't damage the ship or Reimu herself for that matter.  
"So, how should I call you, sir?" She then asked.  
"Just call me… Fierce Deity." He said in a gruff voice, obviously similar to Adult Link's voice, but with a deeper, more firmer undertone to it, almost like it had a bit of Darunia's voice mixed in it.  
It was also there that Reimu could notice the appearance of the Fierce Deity itself, looking quite buff while retaining a slim appearance as a whole, making him appear more agile and athletic as if the muscles have been fitted to match his length and size properly. Nodding, Reimu then powered her airship up, steering it towards the portal and flying towards it. The other Gerudo present watched them go, each of them praying in good fortune towards them…

Entering the portal, both Reimu and the Fierce Deity looked around the area, blinking as they observed their surroundings. The air itself looked like it was an infinite stretch of blue sky with a sun shining in the air and clouds in the far distance around, making it almost reminiscent of the paradise-like appearance of the moon due to Majora's magic or curse placed on it. But instead of a grass field around and a single large tree in the epicenter where the children wearing the masks of the slain bosses were playing around and the child wearing Majora's Mask was sitting at the base of the tree, there was now plain, flat ground with what appeared to be water standing on sole-height, as if walking on top of an infinite mirror. Both the Fierce Deity and Reimu looked around, traveling along using Reimu's vessel for quick transportation, but where the Fierce Deity looked focused and determined, Reimu was more apprehensive and nervous, something which the Fierce Deity himself could sense with the way she was looking around, as if she was expecting something to attack them while they were en route. Thankfully there were no such attacks in the first place, but Reimu remained alert, just in case. When the two saw a lone figure standing in the far distance, the Fierce Deity knew it was the one he was looking for.  
"Stop here." The Fierce Deity said.  
Reimu did as she was told to and stopped the vessel, letting it lower enough for the Fierce Deity to disembark from it.  
"It is likely that Ganjora will use some kind of barrier that will prevent you from interfering. I suggest you stay here or otherwise back up a bit to get some proper distance in; this fight will get brutal." The Fierce Deity said.  
"I understand. Just be careful out there and good luck. You're going to need it." Reimu said.  
"Thank you."  
"I'll be waiting at some distance from here, close to our entry point. Just make sure you win."  
"I don't plan on losing, Reimu, but thanks for your support." The Fierce Deity said, smiling at her despite his rather fearsome, intimidating appearance.  
"Anytime." Reimu said with a nod, smiling at the Fierce Deity, before retreating with her vessel to where she said she would be waiting.  
The Fierce Deity watched her leave, before turning again to the lone being in the distance ahead. Taking a look at his right hand, he saw that both the Triforce of Courage and the Triforce of Wisdom were glowing strongly, this confirmed to him that the battle was drawing near, coupled with the presence of the third piece, the Triforce of Power. With his Golden Double Helix Sword lifted over his left shoulder, the Fierce Deity marched onward, towards his target.

After a few minutes of walking in a straight line forward, the Fierce Deity was finally addressed.  
"You have exceeded my expectations…" Ganjora's voice said, as the being suddenly appeared at a closer distance in front of the Fierce Deity.  
"… You took up my challenge after all, but I didn't expect you to appear in your stronger form." Ganjora said, before his eye fell on the Medallion insignias and the crest of Hyrule's Royal Family, surprising him.  
The Fierce Deity's expression remained serious, his sword still laid on the shoulder.  
"Well, this is… an unexpected change. Combining the powers in a new effort to defeat me? You are most certainly creative, I'll give you that much." Ganjora said, blinking.  
"You did the same before, albeit in a different way. I just took the liberty of evening the odds." The Fierce Deity said.  
"You got me there, cretin. At least one thing you've bested me in already."  
"But now that I'm here, let's cut the talk and let's settle this." The Fierce Deity said, drawing his massive blade.  
"Very well then, let's see how well you'll hold up now." Ganjora said, preparing its invisible barrier around the two, before drawing his own weapon.

For a moment, both the Fierce Deity and Ganjora stared each other down, before charging at each other, their blades clashing against each other as they tried to best each other in this battle. While Ganjora had the advantage of a smaller sword that enabled him to move more rapidly, the Fierce Deity's blade was stronger and was capable of inflicting far more damage, even shooting out Sword Beams whenever he wanted to. For about several minutes, the two were trading blows with their swords, most of the time blocking or parrying each other's strikes, but also managing to get a few stabs and cuts here and there in, with the Fierce Deity sneaking in several Back Slashes, Jump Strikes and the Great Spin, the latter of which now was a circle of pure golden energy. Ganjora on the other hand preferred the use of his own rapid strikes, coupled with dashes to charge in at the Fierce Deity, whom did his best to block or parry the incoming strikes despite him having no shield for proper defense, although he was hit on a few occasions or otherwise avoided it altogether. The Fierce Deity managed to get several strikes in the sides as well, proving that Ganjora wasn't as invincible as it thought that it was. This all began to power the Fierce Deity's vigor to beat Ganjora into submission and finally bring peace and prosperity back to Hyrule and Termina and beyond. Things were made even more painful for Ganjora when the Fierce Deity managed to strike those points where Ganondorf himself had those scars, even though his fusion with Majora pretty much covered those wounds/scars with new flesh as if to camouflage it. Still, both Ganjora and the Fierce Deity fought like never before, intending to finish the other off right there, but so far the battle was a stalemate, with neither side gaining an actual advantage so far…

After a while, Ganjora was frustrated enough to bring out a second blade, dashing towards the Fierce Deity and performed a cross-slash on his chest area, making the Fierce Deity grunt. In response, the Fierce Deity let his own blade shimmer with sparks, indicating he was charging magic power into his sword, getting ready to retaliate as he fired one Sword Beam, which Ganjora easily avoided, only to be struck by a second one which blasted him a few meters away, the golden light zapping him all over and around as if he was hit by a Light Arrow directly. This stunned Ganjora enough for the Fierce Deity to dash in himself and delivering a vicious strike across the chest, leaving a cut straight through the left 'eye' of Majora's Mask on Ganjora's chest, causing Ganjora to grunt in visible pain, before the latter recovered and used one of its tendrils to smack the Fierce Deity across the face, before moving in to strike him in the side with his swords. The Fierce Deity recovered on his turn after the first strike and blocked the second strike, before moving in to deal a powerful upwards kick to Ganjora's chin, followed by a spin kick and a sword slice across the abdomen, causing Ganjora to drop his swords. This in turn surprised Ganjora, not expecting the Fierce Deity to throw in a bit of the Zora fighting style in the current battle, before seeing the Fierce Deity approaching with his sword poised to deal damage. Ganjora decided to play the Fierce Deity's game and promptly unleashed another Fire Beam from its torso, which the Fierce Deity avoided by hopping or rolling to the side whenever it followed his direction, while still coming closer to his nemesis. Before the Fierce Deity could strike him, Ganjora leapt above him, before delivering a powerful strike to the ground; akin to the one Ganondorf used in the Future That Almost Was to make it harder for Link to cross the gap from the corner of the room to the center area where Ganondorf attacked him from. This punch created a shockwave that caused the Fierce Deity to stumble forward to the ground, before he rolled to the side to avoid another punch that could have damaged his back. Getting back on his feet, the Fierce Deity had little time to react before he was grabbed by one of Ganjora's tendrils and tossed to the far side of the barrier encompassed area, after which Ganjora pelted the warrior with numerous electric sphere-like attacks; akin to Majora's Incarnation's primary attack. Even though some of them hit their mark, the blasts were either blocked or avoided by the Fierce Deity, whom let his sword shimmer again, retaliating with several powerful Sword Beams that flew directly at Ganjora, striking it multiple times which made Ganjora howl in agony as it was stunned. This allowed the Fierce Deity to charge directly at Ganjora, performing a powerful Jump Strike against the enemy that made it howl in pain, indicating it had received quite the damage. In return, Ganjora retaliated by delivering a powerful kick of his own to the Fierce Deity to knock him away for a bit, after which it began to charge up a powerful magic sphere cluster, firing it at the Fierce Deity. Clocking the blasts, the Fierce Deity readied his sword and used the Great Spin to send the spheres back at Ganjora, which hit him and stunned him again, long enough for the Fierce Deity to come back in close combat and deal another vicious strike across Ganjora's chest. Grunting, Ganjora used its tendrils to grab and toss the Fierce Deity away again, allowing Ganjora to pick up his swords and charge at his opponent with his swords crossed, intending to use a scissor-like double-slash to cut the Fierce Deity's head off, showing that Ganjora was getting angry. The Fierce Deity however saw him coming and prepared another Sword Beam, firing it at the charging menace to zap it with its energy and stop its advance with success, before charging at it himself and pounded against Ganjora's abdomen with the hilt of his sword, sending Ganjora flying. Now getting really pissed, Ganjora promptly tossed his swords away, one to each side, before charging at the Fierce Deity with its fists and tendrils ready, intending to beat the living daylights out of him, first striking him full in the face which in turn caused him to drop his Golden Double Helix Sword in turn, although regaining his balance, before summoning vines of his own to smack Ganjora across the face much like how Ganjora used its tendrils to strike the Fierce Deity with. The Fierce Deity then extended his own shadow to catch Ganjora, teleport himself to closer range and dealing a swift combo of Zora Kicks and Goron Punches to send Ganjora flying, with the last punch being used to extract a bit of Ganjora's life force and power in the process. The Fierce Deity then focused his power to launch a beam of magical energy to zap Ganjora with, its execution being similar to how Zelda used her powers to keep Ganon at bay so Link could deal the death blow back in That Future, before summoning a Light Sphere to strike the nemesis right in the chest, knocking it to the ground. Using that bit of reprieve, the Fierce Deity then summoned a few vines to quickly boost up the healing of his own injuries, smaller wounds vanishing rapidly while the more serious cuts either slowed down or stopped bleeding altogether, regaining some of his own stamina back in the process.

Dispelling the vines after seeing Ganjora rise again, the Fierce Deity decided to take matters in his own hands by charging directly at his opponent, delivering an onslaught of punches and kicks that seemed like a flawless combination of the Goron and Zora fighting styles altogether, battering Ganjora around for a moment. He didn't give Ganjora a chance to fight back properly as he rolled around it when it tried to strike back, occasionally using a Shadow Trap to aid him in scoring a few more hits in ways that would make a Gerudo proud to achieve. Coupled with using a double-axe handle punch in the style of a Jump Attack or Jump Strike, a Spinning kick as his Spin Attack and even a double heel kick as a second jump attack made the Fierce Deity quite versatile, although Ganjora eventually managed to strike the Fierce Deity several times in the back, chest, belly and the face whenever he missed a few specific moves or got caught in the momentum of other moves that left him open to counter attacks. But whenever Ganjora was kicked away at a distance, the Fierce Deity rapidly summoned a few vines to give him a bit of their life force to heal him to a degree in order to keep fighting and deter where this new Ganjora had its primary weaknesses to exploit, for what the Fierce Deity himself believed was that if Ganjora would remain unchecked or even come out victorious, the powers he would take from him would make Ganjora strong and perhaps even confident enough to challenge the three Goddesses themselves, perhaps bringing about the apocalypse to Hyrule which had once been prevented in Termina. The very idea of Hyrule, Termina, the rest of the world and its entire population suffering under rule of eternal darkness or otherwise be destroyed using an apocalyptic event by Ganjora's hands, while the Hero of Time and the Seven Sages' corpses would be withering away in an endless void between dimensions, never to be seen ever again was enough to strengthen the Fierce Deity vigor to let that not come to pass, whatever the cost may be. As such, his own fighting style was starting to become more aggressive in nature, despite his attempts to remain focused and be on the watch for potential counters or intercepting attacks. The Fierce Deity did have one advantage, which was that Ganjora was ironically enough mimicking this aggressive behavior of offense, mostly due to it wanting the exact things to happen which the Fierce Deity wanted to prevent. If this form of stalemate would remain as it is, the two would likely be fighting here for a long time, perhaps the combat outliving Reimu who was still waiting for the outcome of the fight in anticipation and also in nervosity, hoping that the Fierce Deity would be able to land the death blow, otherwise she'd be joining him in the void as their eternal grave. Coupled with what has been done to Reimu would make the revenge all too sweeter whenever Ganjora would be finally beaten into submission. She didn't understand fully how it could have come to this. Had she become too careless when defending her home and her sister which eventually led to her capture due to being caught by surprise? It would seem logical due to the complex nature of the Fortress, but she didn't understand why the Gerudo did fall into a civil war. Her mind went blank as soon as the brain-washing spell was activated on her after she was captured and after her subsequent liberation courtesy of her sister Leia, she sought out a path of redemption for the pain she had caused. She hoped that she was still able to contribute in some way, even though this wasn't her fight. A tear slipped past her eye as she watched the two beings duke it out in the far distance.

It was clear that, even without his powerful sword, the Fierce Deity was more than a formidable opponent for Ganjora to beat, since he was not only making use of just his fists and feet to fight with, he also employed the very magical abilities that the Sages, even combining some of them with each other for extra power or speed, depending on how he was using the abilities. However, Ganjora was able to put on the pressure on the Fierce Deity as well, pummeling him with several fierce crosses and jabs, before elbowing him in the stomach, kneeing him in the face, followed by another fierce punch in the stomach, which was a particular painful one since the punch was similar to the one Ganondorf used to torture Link and Zelda both with. Despite this, the Fierce Deity recovered and clocked Ganjora in the face, followed by a spin-kick in the stomach and a fierce cross in the face, right before punching Ganjora between the eyes. In retaliation Ganjora used its tendrils to grab the Fierce Deity and toss him around, smashing him on the ground a few times before tossing him in the air and blasting him with a powerful magic sphere, sending him down to the ground, although the Fierce Deity recovered during his fall and landed on his feet, before charging at Ganjora once more, striking him head-on in the face with a fierce right hook, followed by a vertical spin kick which planted his feet in its face heels-first, which was used as a momentum to jump more forward to he landed behind Ganjora, before spinning around and kicking the fiend into its back, sending it flying forward and skidding over the ground, but Ganjora rapidly got back up, using the momentum to launch himself back at the Fierce Deity with a ferocious headbutt. The Fierce Deity grunted visibly at this, but recovered and retaliated with an elbow strike and another spin kick, followed by a vicious Goron Fire Punch Combo, with the last punch striking Ganjora hard in the stomach to send him flying backwards for several meters.

Ganjora got back up, now being pissed enough to charge directly at the Fierce Deity, its arms and tendrils raised to again attempt to beat him to death. The Fierce Deity was ready however and manipulated his own shadow to even the odds, moving to retaliate against Ganjora as they engaged in an onslaught of rapid-fire fisticuffs, with neither side gaining the upper hand for a few seconds as their own attacks were continuously blocked or parried by the other, although Ganjora eventually got the upper hand by dispelling the Shadow Manipulation that the Fierce Deity was pulling, unaware that the Fierce Deity was within reach of his Golden Double Helix Sword. The Fierce Deity didn't let himself be beaten any time soon and, mustering all of his strength, he dashed forward, delivering a rather vicious uppercut to Ganjora's chin, sending him flying for a moment. In this momentum, the Fierce Deity grabbed his Golden Double Helix Sword and charged at Ganjora with unseen vigor, the Triforce on his hand glowing brightly, stunning Ganjora in the process. This was more than enough for the Fierce Deity to act as he then proceeded to repeatedly strike the menace several times in rapid succession, delivering serious injuries to it, before using a final Sword Beam in the stomach to blast Ganjora away.  
"A being that seeks pleasure in harming the innocent and those who seek to protect the lands deserves to meet its end!" The Fierce Deity proclaimed before launching the beam to send Ganjora flying, sending him tumbling backwards and skidding over the ground, the ironic echo being as it was similar to how Link skidded over the ground after being launched from the Ruined Hyrule Castle, but now there were no cliffs or the like to halt its skidding, only gradually slowing down.

Grunting, Ganjora moved in a sitting position, visibly weakened, but not entirely finished yet. Looking ahead, it saw the Fierce Deity, his sword ready to deal the death blow, but being wary as he watched it getting up, not taking any risks for potential sneak attacks which it could pull. Overlooking its own body, Ganjora saw the damage done to it, with numerous slashes spread across the chest, belly, arms, legs and face, before forming its hands into fists, now being royally pissed at feeling it was being denied its wish of conquering the world... He then looked at the Fierce Deity, who was still poised to strike at him.  
"You…" Ganjora growled, which immediately caught the Fierce Deity's attention, the latter going immediately in a defensive stance as Ganjora first bent down, obviously in pain as it tried to get itself together…  
It was then that Ganjora howled in the air in rage as it began to float up, gusts of wind emanating from it as he apparently was preparing something, right as an aura appeared around Ganjora, pulling itself towards it as it floated higher and higher in the air, now outraged at the Fierce Deity…  
"Arrogant deity! I shall erase your very existence and of those who created you! HYRULE AND TERMINA ARE MINE TO CONTROL!" Ganjora roared as a hideous sphere of dark magic enveloped it, consisting of a very volatile dark purple to black color combination, all the while the Fierce Deity had to shift his stance in order to maintain balance, just as the purple and black sphere dissipated into nothingness, leaving the area silent for only a few seconds…

A few seconds later, the Fierce Deity blinked as the sphere now returned, being a pure crimson red with white and black shining from it, after which a being appeared from it. This being appeared at first to be Ganjora, but was now wearing robes and a hood over its main body and arms, coupled with a mask over its face. From the eye-holes in the mask were eyes that were glowing a hideous crimson to blood-red, while the mask itself had an uncharacteristic mouth-piece that was enough for one to breathe through safely. This all to the shock of the Fierce Deity himself.  
"I am Garo Ganjora, the one who will end your miserable life!" The being proclaimed as it armed itself with two blades, which also looked different; instead of red flames, both were flaming an eerie dark purple, similar to the torch that Meg, one of the Poe Sisters was holding when Link confronted her.  
The Fierce Deity also spotted a vicious battle-axe on Garo Ganjora's back, which indicated it was from an Iron Knuckle, but this one had an eerie green flame around it, as if it was also empowered similar to Garo Ganjora's blades. One thing was for certain, this was the beginning of the end, but for who? That was the question that went through the Fierce Deity's mind right now…


	56. Chapter 56: At Hell's end

_Chapter 56: At Hell's End_

Once Garo Ganjora had landed and showed off its purple flaming swords, the Fierce Deity knew that this was going to be it. Without hesitation, the Fierce Deity attacked, intending to eliminate the threat once and for all before it would become too strong to defeat, raising his Golden Double Helix Sword, intending to cut its head off. However, Garo Ganjora simply raised his purple flaming blades and blocked the incoming strike with ease, much to the Fierce Deity's shock and horror.  
"Weak… very weak… DIE!" Garo Ganjora said, before launching a powerful dark magic attack that enveloped the Fierce Deity, causing him to scream as apparently the sphere that appeared was doing a different kind of damage to him, before it exploded, sending him flying… right before his body began to glow… and promptly exploded, after which Link and all of the Seven Sages fell out of the explosion… as if the attack had dispelled the fusion of the group in a single strike… and from the looks of it, the attack also destroyed the Fierce Deity's Mask, since it did not fall out of the explosion, except for some rapidly disintegrating debris.  
While this pleased Garo Ganjora, it puzzled him as to why the Golden Double Helix Sword was still present and completely intact, even as he watched the group tumble backwards, each of them with their faces down, although Link regained balance and got back to his feet as he landed, forcing him to stop his skidding, taking a moment to catch his breath, growling. Seeing as the Golden Double Helix Sword was within his reach, Link grabbed it and picked it up, similar to how he wielded the large Great Fairy's Sword he once received from the Great Fairy of Kindness in Ikana Canyon, before straightening his stance to properly face Garo Ganjora and look him straight in the eye. It was this that made Garo Ganjora blink… as Link's face at first appeared normal, were it not for the facial markings that were normally present on the Fierce Deity's Mask! It was as if he somehow retained those markings, but whether this was for decoration or something else was that Garo Ganjora didn't know. But the biggest shocker came for Garo Ganjora when Zelda got up to face him, as he spotted that the princess had the SAME facial markings that Link had… and from the looks of it as each of the Sages got up, each of the Sages also had those markings. But this was something that Garo Ganjora quickly put to the side as he saw that each of them was ready to attack, ready to fight until they couldn't fight anymore. This angered Garo Ganjora to no end, now moving to action.  
"You shall not stop me, whatever it takes!" It said.  
"We'll see about that!" Link said, his sword ready as it shimmered at his command, just as Zelda came to his side.

With this, the battle proceeded once more, this time in a 8 vs. 1 fashion once more as Link and the Sages engaged Garo Ganjora together, whose eyes were glowing menacingly as it charged at them in kind. Holding his blades in a scissors-like motion to cut through anything in its path, Garo Ganjora rushed at the group, only for the Sages to avoid him, while Link raised his shield to block the strike. However, Garo Ganjora teleported up in the sky and attempted to land on top of Link, which didn't succeed as Link rolled out of the way, recollecting himself before delivering the first strike against the menace, who promptly responded by smacking Link to the side before belching out a stream of blue fire at him. Zelda pulled him out of harm's way, before firing a Silver Light Arrow at Garo Ganjora, striking him in the side. While Link got back to his feet, Saria and Ruto both engaged the enemy, with Ruto firing her Nice Boomerang to stun him so Saria could strike him with a Silver Bomb Arrow, which hit its mark. Angered, Garo Ganjora powered a magic blast and fired it towards Saria, only for Saria to knock it back, this time engaging in the Dead Man's Volley herself for a brief moment, before she smacked the blast hard enough for it to hit Garo Ganjora, causing him to howl in pain as he was zapped by his own attack. This moment allowed the group to attack him fiercely, using Silver Light Arrows, before coming up close and dealing some heavy damage in melee attacks, with Link being at the front wielding his massive blade, ducking at the right time as Darunia came in with a Fierce Goron Fire Punch, before Ruto hopped over the Goron Leader and planted her feet in Garo Ganjora's face, leaping off of him so Saria, Zelda, Impa and Nabooru came in with several sword strikes, after which Rauru finalized the attack with several powerful punches reinforced by the evil smiting Light power, before Garo Ganjora threw everyone off, summoning tendrils to even the odds in his favor, smacking the group around or grabbing them and tossing them around wherever it was needed. In retaliation, Saria summoned vines of her own to keep the tendrils at bay for as long as possible, before she focused her powers to create a set of powerful, stiff leaves which she used to toss at Garo Ganjora, being akin to throwing knives. Garo Ganjora on his turn was teleporting around like the Garo Master, intending to surprise the group wherever it was convenient for him. But Link knew the tactics of the Garo Master and knew to anticipate, remaining on the move so Garo Ganjora couldn't land on him and potentially crush him underneath his feet in the process. Ruto summoned water spouts from below in her attempts to extinguish the flames that were surrounding the axe and the blades to no avail, as Garo Ganjora defended himself against them, although this did leave him open for Nabooru to perform a spinning Jump Attack with her arms outstretched to let her Blades cut into her target as she spun mid-flight, almost like a sawblade. In response, Garo Ganjora elbowed the Gerudo leader in the back, sending her flying against Impa, knocking the two women over in the process.

Darunia came in with a Spiked Goron Roll, having moved to a distance to power it up properly, running over Garo Ganjora successfully, causing the menace to shriek in pain as it was hit by the spikes multiple times before Darunia broke off his assault and delivered a Goron Pound to send Ganjora flying forward. This in turn gave Rauru the chance to pelt him with powerful Light Spheres, but while Ganjora was hit by several of them, he fired a blast of his own that knocked Rauru backwards, causing the elder Light Sage to grunt as he landed. Continuing his assault, Garo Ganjora unleashed his Blue Fire Breath for a second time, which Saria narrowly avoided by using a wall of vines as a shield, which was promptly burnt to cinders as Saria used a backflip to get out of the firing range. Nabooru then charged ahead at him, her swords ready. Garo Ganjora saw her and moved to intercept, only for Nabooru to jump upward, revealing Link and Zelda whom managed to strike the stunned Garo Ganjora in the sides simultaneously, before kicking him in his rear to send him flying forward, right on time to let his chin meet Darunia's fist as the latter performed a vicious uppercut to send the menace up in the air, where Nabooru intercepted him with several slashes in the back, before Impa joined the assault on the front. Shortly after that though, Garo Ganjora caught both women in his tendrils and smashed them down to the ground, before powering a large sphere of purple fire which he tossed at the group. Link was having none of that and charged directly at the sphere, hacking ferociously at it with his might blade with the aid of Ruto as she fired a Water Beam which eventually dispelled the sphere, allowing Link to charge ahead. Garo Ganjora had his blades ready to intercept him, but Link was faster and dealt a vicious strike against Garo Ganjora's Mask, leaving a cut in it and sending Garo Ganjora flying again, although he teleported before he could gain momentum from it, landing at a close distance of Link and Zelda both, before using his Blue Fire Breath to set them ablaze. Both Link and Zelda screamed as they were burned by the attack, but they extinguished the fire rapidly by rolling over the wet, mirrored floor just as Ruto aided them by dousing them gently in water to prevent them from gaining serious burning wounds, leaving only parts of their skin, but primarily the clothes, cinched or burnt because of it. In retaliation, Saria ensnared Garo Ganjora's arms in her vines in an attempt to sap him of his strength, but Garo Ganjora's blades easily cut through the vines like a knife through butter, before smacking the Forest Sage aside as if she was a mere nuisance. This didn't sit well with Link as he took out a Silver Ice Arrow and shot it at Garo Ganjora, freezing him for a second or so before the ice broke around him. Garo Ganjora shot a tendril at Link to catch him, only for him to block it with his Sword, the movement of it beginning to cut into the tendril itself as it tried to get around it to still reach the young hero, only for Darunia to grab it and yanked on it, pulling Garo Ganjora towards him and clocked him in the face with a Fierce Goron Punch, sending him careening backwards for a bit, only for Darunia to run up to him and used a Shoulder Ram to make him fall backwards on the ground. Getting up, the enraged Garo Ganjora then proceeded to use his tendrils to grab the group each and proceeded to zap them with an electric surge, but Ruto countered it after a few seconds by using a flow of water to ignite a feedback that zapped Garo Ganjora in turn, making him drop the group as a whole. Gathering themselves back together, Link and the Sages prepared for another assault, watching as Garo Ganjora put his purple flaming swords away for the moment, now retrieving his green-flaming battle axe, holding it in a style akin to the Iron Knuckles.

Being alert, Link and the Sages did their best to stay clear of the axe while at the same time wanting to end this once and for all. As Garo Ganjora approached, Link began to study his movements, as if he was remembering the patterns of the Iron Knuckles in the first place, narrowing his eyes.  
"Keep your distance and pelt him with explosives wherever you can," Link said softly to where only the Sages could hear him while letting his own sword shimmer, "if we can get rid of his weapons, perhaps it will give us the opportunity we need to end it."  
"Right, this has gone for long enough." Zelda said with a nod, observing the numerous wounds she, Link and the Sages had, although Saria did her best to cast a healing spell in conjunction with Rauru and Nabooru in times she had a reprieve from the continuous attacks.  
Garo Ganjora chuckled at this.  
"What are you muttering about? Chanting a little prayer before your death?!" He cackled as he approached them.  
"You wish." Link said, getting up, not caring that the ground around them as well as his clothes were practically soiled with blood, while his clothes, as well as those of the Sages, were tattered and torn all over.  
Garo Ganjora scowled.  
"You know, if you would have just let me take your powers and just put you out of your misery, you wouldn't be dealing with this pain." He said.  
"It's not over yet, Ganjora, we're not finished yet!" Zelda growled.  
"Then let me finish it for you! I'll make it quick and painless, considering what you had to endure." Garo Ganjora retorted.  
"Over our dead bodies!" Darunia said, pumping up his fists as he was ready to join in the assault.  
"We will see." Garo Ganjora said, swinging his battle axe to create a wave of green fire that spread towards the group.  
The group grunted as the flames hit them, but thanks to Ruto having doused the group with water beforehand and Darunia's own rock-hard body while shielding the Zora Princess, none of the group was set on fire this time around. Link retaliated on his own terms by unleashing several Sword Beams that struck Garo Ganjora, zapping him all over as he howled in pain, stunning him long enough for Zelda and Saria to strike at him using Silver Light Arrows. This in turn allowed Darunia to get in close with a vicious Fire Punch combo, while Saria summoned vines to keep the tendrils at bay for as long as possible, while Nabooru gave her some relief by cutting the most vicious ones off, putting them out of commission. Garo Ganjora then smacked Nabooru and Saria down with one of the remaining tendrils, before shoving Ruto to the side, punching Darunia with them and smacking Rauru and Impa backwards, leaving only Link and Zelda as the two charged at him. Garo Ganjora then teleported upward like the Garo Master, but Link anticipated it and, taking Zelda with him, rolled to the side to avoid the landing spot of Garo Ganjora, before slashing at the monster's legs, causing it to shriek in pain, before turning around, attempting to immolate the two once more using its Blue Fire Breath. This time the attempt failed again, partially due to the two children moving out of the way as well as their soaked outfits delivering a slight bit of fire-proof protection to a degree as the flames didn't get stuck on them, instead being rather extinguished quickly. In frustration, Garo Ganjora swung his axe again, nearly decapitating Link and Zelda both in a single strike, but because the two ducked under the swing in time, they were spared, although their respective hats were caught by the axe and were taken off instead while also being cut in two. Not letting it get to them, both Link and Zelda managed to get in close and struck Garo Ganjora in the abdomen several times, before the menace grabbed them using its tendrils and smashed the two together, before pulling them close, wrapping them up in a single tendril, bringing them close to his face, growling menacingly through his mask, putting extra pressure on them as he pressed them together, as if wanting to squash them. However, Impa reacted and in a swift motion she severed the tendril that held the two children captive, only for the part that remained attached to Garo Ganjora to smack her and the children both to the side, before teleporting away, intending to crush them, only to be intercepted by Darunia using his rock-hard back as a shield, which in turn knocked Garo Ganjora backwards, giving Nabooru the opportunity to slash at the monster while he recovered, narrowly avoiding being cut across the belly by his axe in the process. The momentum of the swing however left Garo Ganjora open for a counterattack which Rauru seized to blast him with a powerful Light Sphere, stunning him long enough for Ruto and Saria to recover on their turn, with Ruto blasting Garo Ganjora with a water geyser from below, before Saria once more utilized her Stabbing Leaves technique, tossing razor-sharp leaves like throwing knives at Garo Ganjora to cut him everywhere she could, managing to sever two more tendrils before Ganjora teleported away, this time behind the Forest Sage. However Darunia clocked him and punched him before he could harm Saria, while Link and Zelda joined in with a Double Jump Attack.

Zelda did note that Link seemingly had no difficulties in wielding the oversized Golden Double Helix Sword by himself, she mused that all the travels made a positive influence on his strength. That and the use of the Goron Bracelet helped a lot with the situation at hand, as well as Link's earlier experience with using the Great Fairy's Sword he obtained in Ikana. Link still did have the sword, but he didn't use it that much in favor of his Gilded Sword and his shield, which in turn granted Link a greater defense capability in order to block incoming strikes, something that was impossible with wielding two-handed swords after all. While Saria did use her own Sword and Shield where necessary, she also utilized the aid of the Forest Spirits in combat due to her being the Forest Sage. This in turn allowed her to summon the vines and leaves whenever she pleased, as well as using their powers to heal her friends and other comrades she had around. This in turn made Saria almost become the embodiment of life, as she now deployed multiple vines to help her closest friends recover more rapidly than Ganjora did, although Ganjora did his best to sever the vines on occasion to disrupt the healing, despite the remaining Sages doing their very best to keep him occupied. Still, this didn't leave Saria out of the fight, showing that she is quite formidable by herself. While Darunia was without a doubt the toughest of the group, Saria was far more agile and capable of landing in sneak attacks due to her small size, just like Ruto, Link and Zelda. Nabooru and Impa on their turn also showed a nice display of their agility, making them also quite a tough target for Ganjora to hit, although he did score in several blows against them nonetheless.  
"Persistent little pests!" Garo Ganjora snarled at the group, "I should have killed the last three of you as well or banished you all to the gap between dimensions! You do not belong in my Kingdom!"  
"What Kingdom?" Nabooru snapped back, slashing at his legs, "You're the king of NOTHING!"  
In response, Ganjora grabbed her by using one of his tendrils.  
"I am the destined ruler of our world and don't you forget it!" He growled at her, before tossing her into Rauru, who grunted as the both of them were sent backwards by a meter or so. This only earned Garo Ganjora another fist in the face courtesy of Darunia.  
"You're the destined ruler of NOTHING, fool!" The Goron leader said, punching the menace right under his chin, comically flattening his jaws for a split second before Garo Ganjora was sent flying for a bit, before recovering and blasting Darunia with a magic sphere attack.  
Although Darunia was blasted away, Impa took his place right away, using a shadow clone to batter him around, slicing at him vigorously before the menace destroyed the shadow clone and knocked Impa against Darunia, injuring her in the process. Link and Saria then both attacked simultaneously while Zelda and Ruto approached from the other side, but before they could strike, Garo Ganjora's tendrils grabbed them and smashed them against each other, nearly cracking Link and Saria's skulls in the process, forcing Saria to once again let vines appear to heal those injuries as quickly as possible. Zelda and Ruto got better off due to Ruto using a water sphere to cushion the impact, but it didn't leave them unscathed either as both had a serious headache due to the impact. Regardless, Zelda retaliated with firing a Silver Fire Arrow, setting Garo Ganjora ablaze for the time being, although he rapidly extinguished the flames, only to see a raging Darunia come at him before he could move to hit Zelda, opting to strike her with a tendril instead before Darunia reached him.

Darunia clobbered Garo Ganjora several times across the face, followed by a Light Sphere by Rauru and several sword sparks courtesy of Nabooru, before the enemy teleported away to the far back, charging up another powerful magic sphere which was intended to finish the fight.  
"Now, feel the TRUE taste of Hell!" Garo Ganjora roared, preparing to throw it to the group in a last ditch attempt to finally kill them.  
However, Link and Zelda both clocked it, noting its instability and reacted accordingly..  
"You first, Ganjora!" Both the hero and the princess shouted, firing their Silver Light Arrows, striking their mark, causing Ganjora to howl in pain as this happened, causing him to lose control of his attack which fell down on top of him, causing it to explode.  
While Ganjora survived the explosion, he did lose his grip on his swords and his battle-axe, which were torn off from him due to the detonation of the magic sphere attack. It was at this moment that Link saw his chance and, with a burst of energy that made his facial markings glow for a split second, he promptly charged straight at the menace, running at high speed while having the sword tightly in his hands, the sword itself beginning to shimmer as gold sparks were flying from it. Once he was at full speed, Link then leapt towards Garo Ganjora, who was stunned at seeing him coming, before he swung his oversized sword at the monster, catching him in the side, right where the scar was, with Garo Ganjora grunting a little as the sword met his flesh.

Despite the sword being lodged into his side to a degree, Garo Ganjora just stood there, smirking a little as he saw Link struggling to push on. However, he blinked as he saw Link actually shifting his stance, looking him straight in the eye. At this moment, Link pushed on with all his might, the energy on his sword beginning to get more intense as veins began to visibly pulse within the bare parts of Link's body, being his neck, his calves and his underarms as well as around his forehead and on the facial markings. Before Garo Ganjora could throw Link off of him, Zelda came to the hero's aid and grabbed the sword as well as Link himself, pouring her own energy into him and the sword to assist him, not caring if she would be put in a similar state as Link was. Saria also came over to assist, followed by Ruto, Nabooru and Impa, adding more pressure onto Garo Ganjora. This situation intensified when Rauru and Darunia joined in, creating an odd situation where eight people were appearing to hold each other as well as a single sword against a menace who had apparently no trouble in fighting each of them off. Garo Ganjora was now using his tendrils to grab onto Link and the Seven Sages, seeing them struggling greatly against the pressure put on them as the pulsing veins were now so thick and throbbing so intensely they were about to burst right open. When trying to push them away however, he blinked at seeing Link actually pushing the tendril on his face backwards, while boldly taking a step forward to shift his stance and weight, effectively stabilizing himself with his friends following suit, feeling that the sword was beginning to break through Garo Ganjora's defenses.  
"That's… it… keep… going…" Link uttered through clenched teeth.  
Nodding, the Sages banded together with Link, supporting each other as they pushed on, while Garo Ganjora did his best to throw them off. This all didn't help him very much as a sphere was beginning to form on the sword, right on the level with Garo Ganjora's belly as it intensified. Feeling Garo Ganjora buckling under the pressure, Link and the Sages pushed on, finally able to push the sword all the way through, leaving a deep cut within Garo Ganjora's gut, while the sphere itself remained in place as the group was caught in the momentum of the sword's swing as Garo Ganjora was lifted off his feet…

With a deafening explosion that shook the direct vicinity of the area around, the sphere suddenly detonated in a mighty wave of magic and energy combined in practically all colors of the rainbow, mixing red, orange, gold, yellow, lime green, green, blue and purple all around the outer area of the beam itself, while the center of the beam was a brilliant mixture of gold and white, engulfing Garo Ganjora in its wake. Garo Ganjora was helpless as the entire beam racked his entire being, tearing through him like a knife through butter. Garo Ganjora's eyes widened at the sudden pain, when suddenly a loud cracking sound was heard through the diminishing sound from the explosion, as the beam slowly dissipated, leaving Link, Zelda, Saria, Ruto, Nabooru, Darunia, Impa and Rauru neatly in place, their bodies calming down from the pressure, but they could see that the damage was done; Garo Ganjora's chest plate, which consisted of Majora's Mask due to the fusion between Ganondorf and Majora was sporting some serious cracks all over, coupled with similar cracks being present all over his entire body, like bursts within a glass or porcelain surfaces as if they were busted. Even his facial mask had a set of cracks all over them, indicating that his power was now being disrupted.  
"W… W… WHAT?!" Garo Ganjora shouted as he floated down to the ground after the massive beam had dissipated, taking several steps backwards in shock as he was now obviously damaged, "IMPOSSIBLE!"  
He was horrified to see himself so badly damaged, but what startled him more were Link and the Sages were approaching him, determination all across their faces.  
"This ends now!" Link said, his fist and his sword ready, while Garo Ganjora could have sworn that the facial markings on Link AND the Sages altogether were starting to pulse…


	57. Chapter 57: The Final Strike

_Chapter 57: The Final Strike_

Garo Ganjora couldn't believe it. He SERIOUSLY couldn't believe it! Was he truly being beaten after only such a short time in existence?! Why was his power failing him; he should be having that meddling group on their knees or otherwise dead at their feet, not being at their mercy! Enraged at what had happened to him, he promptly charged at the group, intending to strike them down. Link was the first to react and, for the first time, he actually struck Garo Ganjora in the face with his fist after jumping up to hit him there, being backed up by the Triforce of Courage. In retaliation, Garo Ganjora kicked him in the stomach, before using a tendril to intercept Saria and Rauru respectively before getting hit by Zelda. Striking the Hyrulean Princess in the stomach as well, Garo Ganjora then smacked Impa to the side, blocked an attack by Ruto before being kicked in the face by Nabooru, only to be swept off her feet by a sweeping kick, after which Garo Ganjora leapt at her, causing both the Evil King and the Gerudo Leader to roll over the ground for a moment, before Nabooru kicked him up in the air, after which Darunia grabbed the menace's face and smashed it into the ground, before jumping up further, taking him with him and smashed his face on the ground again, making it skid over the ground for a bit before Darunia stepped on Garo Ganjora's left arm with his right foot, after which he began to punch Garo Ganjora's face repeatedly, damaging the mask even more as the Goron Leader delivered a brutal smackdown on the menace.  
"Doesn't feel too good to be on the receiving end of a beating, huh?!" Darunia snarled as he kept going, "well, you deserve EVERY HIT of it!"  
After a few more hits however, Garo Ganjora viciously clocked Darunia in the face, rolling around and turning the tables, now beginning to pound on Darunia.  
"You are not worthy! NONE OF YOU ARE!" He growled as he punched the Goron leader a few times more, before Darunia grabbed his face and held him up so he could get up from the ground, just as the other Sages and Link approached rapidly.

First kicking Darunia in the stomach before punching him to the side, Garo Ganjora first stopped Link and Saria's advance short by elbowing them in their faces which almost broke their noses, before striking Zelda in her back after spinning around her own strike, using the momentum to grab the princess and tossed her against Impa. After that, Garo Ganjora delivered another vicious ground smash that knocked the group off their feet, before he turned his attention to Nabooru and slugged her in the stomach, causing Nabooru to scream out, before she retaliated by cutting him across the face with her own blades, right before Garo Ganjora smacked them out of her hands and kicked her away, after which he avoided several attacks of Rauru before knocking him to the side and kicking Ruto in her back to send her flying against Darunia.  
"You are nothing!" Garo Ganjora declared.  
"Shut your face!" Zelda sneered as she got up.  
"You all should know your places and remain in obscurity for all eternity!"  
"SHUT UP!" Link and Zelda both hollered, striking Garo Ganjora in the chin with a knee strike with aid of Darunia.  
Garo Ganjora grunted as he was kicked before grabbing Link and Zelda by their heads and bashed them against each other, only for Saria to deliver a Back Slash that forced him to release her friends, before he turned to her.  
"We've had ENOUGH!" Saria shouted as she showered her enemy with an array of her Cutting Leaves attack, causing Garo Ganjora to grunt in discomfort, before smacking Saria to the side.  
"Not until you lie dead at my feet!" He snarled, readying his tendrils to attack once more, first swiping at the group using the tendrils as whips again, managing to strike the group, although Darunia managed to ignore the pain by letting them strike his rock-hard back, rending the tendrils useless on them, before sending a fire blast over to strike Garo Ganjora and make him cease his assault instantly.  
"Impudent fools! Don't you realize you can't win against me?!" He snarled.  
"Says the one whom is having trouble against us!" Link snapped back as he charged in again, only to be stopped short when Garo Ganjora planted his left foot in his face, before spin-kicking around and catching Zelda in the side, only to receive a similar kick in the face by Impa.  
He recovered swiftly and clocked the Sheikah woman in the left cheek with a tendril, before smacking Darunia and Rauru aside, delivering gut punches to Link, Saria, Zelda and Ruto in rapid succession, before using a tendril to grab Nabooru by her neck and hoist her up in the air, the Gerudo leader struggling to breathe and get the tendril off. Zelda managed to bail her out using her own sword to strike at the tendril holding Nabooru, causing Garo Ganjora to drop her before receiving a Silver Bomb Arrow in the face courtesy of Link. The chaotic situation of this battle made it apparent that both sides were in a fight as if they were making their own respective last stands; both sides had suffered numerous injuries, but neither side was backing down and intent to land the final death blow on their respective adversaries. Darunia was eventually knocked out cold after Garo Ganjora delivered a vicious kick in the back of his head, before taking Rauru out with a kick in the gut, leaving the elder Sage out of commission as well. He then proceeded to smack Impa against Nabooru, causing them to tumble over Saria and Ruto, who both yelped as the four fell to the ground. This distracted both Link and Zelda, who were then in turn grabbed tightly by their necks through two tendrils which Garo Ganjora held back for the moment, before they were hoisted in the air, being brought towards Garo Ganjora's face, who looked amused as both Link and Zelda struggled against the grip.  
"You two have been a thorn in my side for FAR too long. It's high time you understand that this time, I get what's coming to me and you will be left in this area to be forgotten by time. It matters not to me what you do in here then. Now, hand over the Triforce Pieces you have taken for yourself and give me what I desire!" Garo Ganjora said in a nearly deranged voice as both children's faces were becoming a bit red and also slightly blue, indicating they were now beginning to suffer from a lack of air.  
Impa woke up from her dazedness and saw that the two were placed in a near inescapable chokehold, both of them threatening to choke to death as their movements were beginning to weaken.  
"GIVE THEM TO ME!" Garo Ganjora demanded, just as the backs of Link and Zelda's hands began to glow and pulse, indicating that he was about to succeed!  
Both Link and Zelda panicked as they could feel Garo Ganjora beginning to extract their respective Triforce Pieces, struggling as best as they could, holding onto their respective Triforce Pieces for as long as they possibly could, but the lack of air wasn't doing them any good as their movements slowed down, much to Garo Ganjora's delight. While Impa struggled to get free, not wanting to fail her duties as Zelda's attendant, despite being unable to get Nabooru off of her for the moment, another of the Sages recovered swiftly and saw Link and Zelda in Garo Ganjora's grasp, even watching as the two children were about to go limp in his grasp. Having none of this, he rolled up and charged up a Goron Roll, before smashing into the menace like a spiked boulder crashing into him, causing Garo Ganjora to drop both Link and Zelda, with the two children taking in fresh gulps of air that they were almost deprived of, gasping and coughing loudly as they sat together on hands and knees, trying to get themselves back together. As Impa came to them after she finally pulled herself out from underneath Nabooru's unconscious body, she saw that both children still had their respective pieces, but this was only barely in time, causing her to breathe a sigh of relief. Shaking his head, Link saw that Darunia was locked in a fierce fist-fight with Garo Ganjora, who was now getting borderline insane from being deprived of his victory like this, just when he was so close to win the whole thing. While Zelda herself tended to Nabooru, Link boldly charged ahead to assist his Sworn Brother, dashing up to the menace and leaping up towards him. Garo Ganjora didn't see him coming until the last moment and was shocked to find Link's head collided with his, cracking his facial mask even further while Link fell to the ground and Garo Ganjora was forced backwards. Link himself fell on the ground as well, grunting in pain as he did, before being helped up by Darunia himself.  
"Thanks, Brother." Darunia said, nodding.  
Link acknowledged this with a nod and a smile, just as the other Sages came to join them, each of them having recovered a little so Saria could proceed with her own healing spell once more. Just then, the entire group heard Garo Ganjora scream, causing them to cover their ears as the piercing howl was similar to when the Majora-possessed Skull Kid howled to let the moon proceed with its descend to the Clock Tower during his own confrontation with Link in Termina that year ago.  
"HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME?! I AM THE KING OF EVIL, THE RULER OF DARKNESS! I WILL NOT LET MYSELF BE BEATEN BY A GROUP OF MEDDLING KIDS AND ADULTS!" Garo Ganjora roared in an extreme pissed off fashion, his red eyes growing intensely fierce due to the madness he was experiencing, the madness of being humiliated again.  
As Link and the Sages watched on, they saw that a battle aura had appeared around the menace, causing them to get ready again.  
"All the time have the eight of you interfered in my plans. All I wanted was to rule the world and live in a place other than that hellish desert I was raised in, but you all thwarted my plans time and time again! I WON'T ALLOW THIS ANYMORE!" Garo Ganjora howled as he powered up now out of desperation, but his power increase wasn't noticeable… was he actually getting weaker now?  
Nonetheless, Link and the Sages each took a battle stance, knowing that a cornered fox is more dangerous than a jackal, so they took no chances and waited for what Garo Ganjora's next move would be.

"You will not interfere any further with my rule, cretins! Your lives mean nothing to me! I will take what is coming to me and you can all rot together in this endless void, never to return to my world again!" Garo Ganjora snarled, clearly having lost his mind.  
"You have no world, Ganjora," Ruto retorted, "all you have is this sick, twisted dream of having one, while you know your plans have failed and your world is non-existent!"  
"SHUT UP, ZORA WOMAN!"  
"I shall not! You've lost and you know it, so stop whining like a crybaby and admit your defeat!"  
"That's it, I'll take pleasure in tearing off your flesh or otherwise fry you to death!"  
"Not on my watch!" Link said, growling as his facial markings flashed brightly for a split second, as if they were fueling him with power, coupled with the addition of the Triforce of Courage on the back of his right hand.  
Garo Ganjora growled, getting angrier with the second.  
"I will rule this world whether you like it or not, have at you!" He snapped, preparing his tendrils for a new assault.

Using his tendrils and his fists, Garo Ganjora went postal on the entire group, first clocking Zelda and Saria in the face, elbowing Impa in the stomach, smacking Rauru, Nabooru and Ruto around with his tendrils, before kicking Darunia in the side. However his rampage was cut short as Link used the opportunity to hop on Darunia's arm as he reeled back before jumping forward to Garo Ganjora, grabbing the latter's outstretched leg with his left hand, pulling himself towards the menace before clocking him in the face with a fierce punch, having dropped his sword after Garo Ganjora had hit him in the stomach earlier. Skidding backwards a little, Garo Ganjora looked like he completely lost it, intending to punch the heads of the entire group off. But then Link did something crazy of his own, standing in position, but not making a single move to block the incoming strike. In fact, Link was reeling backwards himself, as if preparing to charge in turn. As Link then moved his head forward however, his forehead met Garo Ganjora's fist, but Link didn't budge at all! It was as if he had performed a headbutt on the fist, which was evident as a sudden shockwave reeled through the outstretched arm of Garo Ganjora, sending his insides in a further turmoil, in particular on the other hand.  
"ARGH! N… No…" Garo Ganjora said as he stepped backwards, his body now shaking all over, having it difficult to maintain his balance… as if he was about to collapse.  
While some of the Sages on their turn blinked at this sudden action, the only exceptions being Zelda, Saria, Darunia and Nabooru, they recomposed themselves within seconds upon seeing their nemesis staggering, his legs wobbling as he collapsed to the ground, indicating that he was getting weaker. Battered, bloodied, seriously injured, but not broken in the slightest, Link and the Sages kept approaching their enemy, intending to end it for real.  
"You've been a fool for wanting to rule Hyrule, Termina and the world!" Zelda said as she approached it, her royal attire in tatters and her hat absent.  
"Your hunger for power has cost you in the end, look at where you are now!" Nabooru snarled, ignoring the fact that some of her jewelry were either cracked or destroyed.  
"You even let people of your OWN KIND suffer, what kind of ruler does that to his own people?!" Ruto snapped subconsciously nursing one of the fins on her arms as she approached him.  
"You dare to… talk like this?!" Garo Ganjora growled in his turn, only to be met with a fierce straight punch courtesy of Darunia, sending the menace stumbling and falling backwards a couple of meters, landing on his hands and feet.  
"We dare, since you've made our lives miserable ever since you showed your TRUE colors!" Impa said as the group continued to approach the menace as he tried to get up and failing.  
"You think you could get away with what you did? Well, you thought WRONG, mister!" Darunia said.  
"Now all the innocent people whom were either cursed or killed by your hands will be avenged!" Link said.  
Garo Ganjora still tried to get up, ignoring the fact that his power was beginning to fail him.  
"H… How can these morons… be so strong?!" He asked as he tried to get up, only to receive a vicious uppercut by Saria, sending him backwards and down to the ground again.  
"That strength… is supposed to be mine… I am the King of Evil… you all... should be down, bowing… down in front of me… I will not let you deflect my will, you hear me?! I WON'T LET YOU!" He said, finally getting up and mustering all of his remaining powers, as a sickly dark purple aura surrounded him, his crimson red eyes now glowing blood-red, his tendrils and fists at the ready, before promptly launching a desperation charge at the entire group, striking each and every one of them simultaneously in their faces; his fists met Darunia and Rauru's faces, while the others were hit in the face by his tendrils, but the entire group didn't let out as much of a single grunt, not even when they were forced back a little due to the force of the impact…

Garo Ganjora smirked, thinking he had finally managed to deal damage to the group. But his smirk turned to utter shock as he saw Link grabbing the tendril with his bare hands… and was his appearance changing color?! Garo Ganjora now began to sweat as Link's normal appearance began to change as the facial marks began to glow one last time, this time changing him into a child-like version of the Fierce Deity, complete with the empty eyes, the white hair, the light-cyan colored tunic, black leggings and the boots and gauntlets, but this time without the body armor itself, this coupled with Link actually pulling the tendril from his face… which for the first time contained nothing more than pure, undiluted rage and hatred for him… and had his canines grown into fangs?! A sense of dread came over Garo Ganjora as the now-awoken Fierce Deity Link held the tendril firmly in his grasp, before tearing it right off and casting it aside like it was nothing. Garo Ganjora gasped at this, but his shock intensified when he spotted Zelda undergoing a similar change, as if she had inherited part of the Fierce Deity's power, just like Link himself! But before he could even react on that, he saw that each of the sages were having similar changes as well, right before they too severed whatever tendrils had hit them or otherwise snapping Garo Ganjora's wrists.  
"We'll never forgive you for what you've done!" Both Fierce Deity Link and Zelda said in unison as they got ready.  
"N… no… it… it can't be!" He said, right before the changed Darunia and Rauru slugged Garo Ganjora in the stomach, making his eyes go wide, after which the now-turned Fierce Deity Nabooru and Impa delivered a vicious uppercut that cracked the mask even more, almost shattering it even.  
Finally, Fierce Deity Ruto, Saria, Zelda and Link each then struck Garo Ganjora in the face, hard enough to destroy the facial mask and send him flying away, before each of them took a moment to recollect themselves for a moment, observing their changed forms… just as a bright light came from Garo Ganjora's right hand, right before a triangle-shaped object was flung from it and floated towards the Fierce Deity Group. This was the one thing that Garo Ganjora held on as his primary source of power, intending to use it to cause the heroes' downfall and obtain the True Triforce, but now it was swiftly taken from him… The Triforce of Power. This relic flew towards the Fierce Deity Group, before it manifested itself on Link's hand for the time being, even if it was just to keep it safe and out of Ganjora's grasp.

Garo Ganjora then floated up, the tendrils severed and his hands practically useless.  
"This… is not my destiny…" He lamented/wailed, a portal at a distance behind him opening as if he was trying to escape.  
"You haven't… seen the last… of me… I will get you… back for this!" He said as he floated towards the portal.  
However, Fierce Deity Link was having none of that and immediately picked up his Golden Double Helix Sword, feeling its power flowing through him as he got ready to strike one more time.  
"This is your end!" He snarled, first running towards Garo Ganjora's position, before smashing his sword onto the ground, lifting himself up and launching himself towards the now shocked menace, taking his sword with him.  
Within a matter of seconds, Fierce Deity Link was upon Garo Ganjora and brought his sword down upon him again, this time at the side of Garo Ganjora's neck. Immediately a golden aura surrounded both warriors, but it was launched against Garo Ganjora's position, as if another beam was fired towards him. Once again Link could feel his veins pulsing throughout his body as he put the pressure on his nemesis in front of him, but he didn't care; as long as he could do his part in returning peace and prosperity to Hyrule, he would gladly make the sacrifices that were required of him. As if on cue and wanting to be sure that the threat was finally over, each of the Sages launched themselves towards Link's position, once again assisting him in his effort to bring the oversized sword to where they wanted it. With them too, the pressure increased on their bodies as much as it had with Link, but because of them sharing the effort equally, they could handle it. It took only about 30 seconds or so, before the sword was finally brought down, cutting through Garo Ganjora as a knife through butter. While the strike wasn't enough to vivisect the menace, it did succeed in cutting Majora's Mask in two, effectively disrupting or destroying the final bits of power which Garo Ganjora had relied on. Garo Ganjora's eyes went wide at this realization, feeling the last of his powers leaving him rapidly.

With an agonizing howl, Garo Ganjora was for a moment sent flying backwards as his body destabilized, dark energy surrounding him like an aura, while beams of light were shining out of him as if the core of his body became visible, just as Link and the Sages were sent flying towards the ground on their turn, but positioned in a way where they could see Garo Ganjora's body destabilizing rapidly with the second.  
"CURSE YOU! CURSE YOU ALL! I HOPE YOU WILL ALL DIE A SLOW, PAINFUL DEATH! YOU HEAR ME?! CURSE YOU ALL TO HELL!" He howled as his voice also became distorted, trying his best to curse at the falling heroes, before he finally went silent.  
With a massive explosion, Garo Ganjora's body burst asunder, sending dark magic and energy in a shockwave in all directions outward, visible through a big circle which enlarged itself horizontally until it dispersed to naught like a circle in the water. At the same moment, whatever dark magic and energy Garo Ganjora used to have was also dispelling rapidly, just as the force of the shockwave sent Link and the Sages tumbling towards and over the ground, the Golden Double Helix Sword clattering over the ground, while at the same time the entire group returned back to normal. As each of them landed on their backs and looked up towards the air where Garo Ganjora was, all they could see was the dissipating energy and magic, with no single trace of the menace remaining behind. While at first remaining apprehensive and alert, the group visibly relaxed after nothing else happened over the next few minutes. It was finally over. Once the realization kicked in, Link suddenly chuckled, before weakly laughing in triumph, despite blood streaming from his mouth as well as numerous other injuries he had suffered beginning to finally take their toll on him.  
"We… we finally… did it…" He said, before he finally passed out while a smile remained set across his face.  
Zelda on her turn crawled at his side, seeing him pass out, but hearing what he said.  
"That… we did…" She said, before she too lost her consciousness, with the other Sages following shortly.  
In fact, each of the Sages also held a smile on their faces before passing out from their injuries, knowing that the threat that Ganjora posed was now no more and would likely never be a threat again for the rest of their lives. As they laid there unconscious, the area around them seemed to clear up, the clouds that had gathered within the endless void clearing, as if the weather improved along with the situation at hand. A gentle breeze swayed over the whole area and, were it not for the blood mixing with the water here and there, the sight was as if Link and the Sages were lying on top of a polished mirror…


	58. Chapter 58: The Wish

_Chapter 58: The Wish_

It took about an hour for Link to finally regain consciousness, moaning as he was now literally hurting all over his body. Looking around, he saw the Sages stirring as well, each of them laying on a more comfortable position on the ground, as was Link himself. Trying to look around as the clouds within the endless void had cleared to reveal a clear blue sky with a sun shining high above in the air, he could feel someone was watching him. It was Reimu, who had approached them once she felt the battle was over and helped them in their comfortable positions, although she had great trouble with moving Darunia. This was evident as she was sweating, hunched bit over her steering wheel, panting a little, but she had recovered far quicker than they did. Groaning, Link moved to a sitting position, holding his head as he obviously was in pain or otherwise still was recovering, coupled with the injuries that were still present around his body, being bruises, cuts and other lacerations, although the most serious wounds have for the most part stopped bleeding and had been bandaged for as good and as bad as it could. As he watched, he saw Zelda and Saria both attempting to sit upright, silently chuckling to himself as he noticed the girls were right at his side, before he stretched his legs, wincing a little as he moved over a bruised part…

His attention was caught by a few other moans, seeing Ruto holding her head for a bit before nursing one of her arms, Saria was having pain on her belly and back, while Nabooru was nursing her right arm, in particular the spot which had been broken in the events leading to her initial demise, but was reset prior to her resurrection by the Great Fairy Venus. Impa coughed, instantly feeling pain in her lungs as she sat up, trying to calm herself, while Rauru groaned as he gently rubbed over his calves. At the same time, Link subconsciously wiped the blood from his mouth away, before rolling his head around his shoulders to pop his neck a little, being bothered by the stiff muscles there, allowing him to relax a bit as one particular pop made him feel better. Looking in the direction of Zelda, he watched as she tried to get up, but her arms were wobbling, causing her to collapse a few times before finally being able to lift herself up. Then he tried himself to shift his position to a bit more comfortable one, but his movements were slow and painful, despite biting through it.  
"Ugh… what happened?" Link asked Reimu as he eventually sat upright, rubbing his sore thighs as he then moved to relax his breathing pattern, being still quite tired from the events that had taken place up to this point.  
"I came here as soon as I witnessed the massive explosion from a far distance. I do not know what has happened so far as you requested to fight your enemy alone, but from what I can tell is that you eventually came out victorious." Reimu said, smiling.  
"Are you sure? I apologize, but my head is a bit woozy…" Link said.  
"Look around you, my friend." Reimu said, showing Link the pleasantness of the bright blue sky, the gentle breeze swaying across the area and the gentle warmth as if a sun was shining on them being present in the area.  
"The darkness in this area… has been completely vanquished…" Impa said, smiling.  
"Indeed, Ganjora is no more." Rauru said, confirming what happened.  
"But what had happened to us? I mean, we did fuse together, but when Ganjora terminated it by force, we all had those facial markings that used to be on the Fierce Deity's Mask…" Zelda said.  
"I think I have an explanation for this…" Link said.  
"You do?" Saria asked.  
"Yes. When Garo Ganjora hit the Fierce Deity so hard it terminated the fusion by the force of it alone, the Fierce Deity's Mask was destroyed in the process. I believe however that its power, before its initial destruction, was perfectly split between the eight of us, which in turn explained how we got those markings, much less temporarily transforming into adaptations of my Fierce Deity self in turn." Link said.  
"So we all had a bit of its original power until now, right? Like its power having split between us the moment the fusion was terminated, which in turn destroyed the mask itself?" Saria asked.  
"Yes, it's the only way I can explain it." Link said, nodding.  
"Well, now that we've finally won this battle, all that is left to do for us is to summon the Triforce for our wish…" Impa said.  
"Indeed." Rauru said, as the group got up.  
"So, how are you going to do this?" Reimu asked.  
"We don't exactly know how this will go. It depends mostly on those who are in possession of the Triforce pieces themselves." Rauru said.  
"Looks like it's up to us then." Link said to Zelda.  
"That it is." Zelda said, as the two moved forward a bit, supporting each other as their injuries had not fully healed completely.

Once they had a decent distance ahead of the group, Link and Zelda stopped and stretched their hands out, after which the respective Triforce Pieces they had on their hands began to glow. A few seconds later, the sacred triangles that represented those Triforce Pieces appeared from the marks and began to float further ahead, assembling together as they did, with the Triforce of Power on top, the Triforce of Wisdom to the left and the Triforce of Courage to the right. As the distance between the pieces decreased, the glow around them increased, which only intensified as the three pieces made contact with each other on the respective tips, creating the completed, full Triforce in all of its glory. Mesmerized by it, both Link and Zelda approached the ancient relic with equaled, slow pace, while the Sages and Reimu followed. Oddly enough, Link and Zelda were holding each other's hands, but the Sages felt that this was due to both of them being holders of parts of the relic itself as well as being nervous of approaching it. After all, this was the relic of legends, the very thing that the Goddesses Din, Farore and Nayru had left behind after their departure from the world after they had done their part in creating it. The knowledge of this did make the group approach it in silence for the most part.  
"Wow…" Reimu said, blinking at the sight of the Triforce glowing in front of the group.  
"Impressive, isn't it?" Nabooru asked.  
"That it is. I only heard of the Triforce because of Ganondorf babbling about it before his failed coup d'état, but I never thought that I would see this with my very own eyes." Reimu said.  
"Let's hope there will be no interference." Impa said.  
"I doubt there will be," Rauru said, "aside from the now-deceased Ganjora, we are the only ones here."  
"Indeed. I hope Link and Zelda can provide the wish that will lead to a hopefully bright future of our homelands…" Nabooru said.  
"I have faith in my Sworn Brother and the Princess; their hearts are pure and balanced, unlike Ganondorf's." Darunia said, smiling brightly.  
"Indeed. If Ganondorf would see this now, he'd probably go insane with rage." Nabooru said, just as the Sages stopped, letting Link and Zelda continue on to speak on their behalf.  
Reimu herself also stopped, lowering her aircraft to ground level, after which she waited, mostly out of respect for the ones she had helped out in their time of need.

Both Link and Zelda then stood in front of the Triforce itself, watching it glow.  
"Do you already know how to address our wish to the Goddesses?" Link asked.  
"Don't worry, leave everything to me. Besides, this should possibly also make up a bit for what I have done in the Future That Almost Was." Zelda said, smiling at Link.  
Link returned the smile, acknowledging it with a nod, before both he and Zelda touched the sacred Triforce with their free hands, holding onto it in order to make sure their wish would be granted. It was then that Zelda spoke.  
"Goddesses of Hyrule, hear that which we desire! Restore the lands of Hyrule and Termina to how they were before Ganondorf and Majora's forces invaded and defiled them! Heal the souls of the innocent ones whom have died during the conflicts that ensued because of the evil beings! Free the ones whom have served the forces of evil against their will from the spells or bindings that held them! Restore the ones whom have been cursed into altered forms back to their normal state of beings! Heal the ones whom have been seriously to gravely wounded during the ensuing conflicts from their injuries and revive the ones whom have fallen in the battles! And give the Hero of Time the privilege of entering the Sacred Realm with the Seven Sages at will." She said.  
The last one made Link blink at Zelda, who merely smiled at him in return. The glow around the Triforce itself intensified, glowing in acceptance of Zelda and Link's desires, both of them having balanced hearts. It was then that a glow appeared around the both of them as well as the remaining Six Sages, which lasted for several seconds, before dissipating… and the group discovered that their injuries had indeed been healed, much to their delight, as some of them were slowly getting weaker due to the numerous wounds, cuts and lacerations inflicted on them during the last battle. As the healing process went underway with them, they could also feel their strength returning, much to their delight.

From the portal in the sky, a gentle white-golden glow began to shine for a brief moment, washing itself over the lands of both Hyrule and Termina. Whatever dwelled on evil beings within the open lands of Hyrule and Termina were instantly vanquished, the people whom were brainwashed to do Ganondorf and Majora's bidding were subsequently released from the spells that bound them into these unwilling servitudes and also restored to full health. Other people whom had received serious to critical injuries from the battles also were restored back to health, while those soldiers and civilians from any race whom had given their lives to protect others were revived, thus given a second chance at life and in turn be reunited with their loved ones among the living. What was once the desolated, destroyed Hyruined Field, filled with dead trees and bushes, coupled with the withered corpses of previously slain enemies and soldiers alike was cleansed and restored back to its former glory, much to the delight of those whom often ventured in the field itself, like Talon and Malon, which allowed them to visit Hyrule Castle Town again. Speaking of Hyrule Castle Town, the town itself was also cleansed of all hostile presence, leaving only the abandoned buildings that were salvageable enough to be rebuilt and restart business as before. While Hyrule Castle and the Temple of Time still laid in ruins, most of the bases of those buildings remained intact, making the rebuilding and restoration processes much easier for the people. Whatever water bodies were poisoned thanks to the actions of the now-deceased Dark Ruto were also purified, allowing the Sea Zoras to freely swim around in their domain as well as Lake Hylia again, while Ruto herself had already cleansed the waters around Great Bay for the Zora population there prior to their travel towards the hidden temple and by extension Ganjora's lair as a whole.

Reimu's sister also made a swift recovery as she was covered in a similar glow like Link and the Sages had been covered inside the portal, much to the delight of the Gerudo whom were watching over her, while they also still waited for news of their commander Reimu, keeping a close watch on the portal. In regards to the rest of Termina, the lands were also restored to their former state as in after Link had vanquished Majora there the first time, with an added bonus of peace being brought to those innocent souls dwelling within Ikana Canyon whom were still lingering with regrets, making the haunted lands at least safer for travelers to go through. Of course there were those that could not be revived, which included Sakon as he was crushed to death by Dark Saria and had his soul destroyed by Dark Nabooru. Others whom weren't revived were of course those whom had gone too deep into corruption to properly redeem themselves, like specific Corrupted Soldiers or Gerudo whom willingly sided with Ganondorf and Majora and were subsequently slain in the following battles, as well as those whom were killed before the whole mess had started.

Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Impa, Darunia, Rauru and Reimu watched as the Triforce fulfilled its task of granting the group the wishes that they had, which would hopefully bring peace and prosperity back to the world as a whole. Once the task was finished, the Triforce itself then vanished, leaving the group behind.  
"Where did it go?" Reimu asked, blinking.  
"Possibly back to the Sacred Realm to await its new owner. But as far as I'm concerned, this may take decades or even longer, perhaps even long after we've passed on to the next life." Rauru said.  
"Let's hope that, for our sake, this will take a long time, so we can have some time to ourselves and both Hyrule and Termina will know peace for a long time to come." Link said as he and Zelda joined the group again, smiling.  
"Indeed. Hopefully no new evil beings will come to disturb the peace this time." Zelda said.  
"Don't jinx it, Zel. But as long as the Triforce of Power is secured back in the Sacred Realm and Majora's Mask destroyed, we have at least two vile beings less to worry about." Link said.  
"True." Zelda said, although blushing again at the affectionate nickname Link gave her.  
"Come on, board the ship. If anything, the exit of this realm should still be open. It's time to go home." Reimu said.  
"Right." The group said as they boarded the ship one by one.  
"I trust you have little occupations as of this moment?" Nabooru then asked Reimu.  
"I think so, I've still been trying to redeem myself for what I've done, regardless of the matter not being my fault." Reimu replied.  
"Well, I think you've redeemed yourself well enough over the days you have associated with us. I'm giving you a couple of days to settle your personal affairs where needed, whether it is with your family, the area you were watching, your guards, whatever that needs to be addressed. I expect you to visit the Fortress soon after you do."  
"Understood ma'am. Anything else?"  
"Yes, when you're summoned to the fortress, bring those four Pirates that accompanied us from the Stone Tower Temple and your sister Leia with you. Consider it a form of audience with yours truly and my second-in-command Aveil. What it'll be is a surprise." Nabooru said with a genuine smile.  
"Very well, ma'am. I'll be sure to be present with the others you wanted to see once the time is there." Reimu said.  
"That reminds me, I'll also expect you to arrive at Hyrule Castle soon for a similar audience." Zelda said, first making Reimu blink, before she smiled in understanding.  
"Very well, Your Highness." Reimu said, smiling and bowing politely.  
"In fact, I expect Link, Saria, Ruto, Darunia and Nabooru herself to be present during that audience as well." Zelda said.  
"I'll be there, Zel. You can count on that." Link said, smiling.  
"I'll be present too for sure." Ruto said.  
"Same with me. Don't look up surprised when Link and I arrive side by side." Saria said, while Tatl, Navi and Tael floated around them, wondering what it was going to be about.  
"Right. Let's go home." Nabooru said as she sat down in Reimu's airship.  
With a smile, Reimu activated her airship and steered to where she had emerged into the void between dimensions with the Fierce Deity himself to ignite the final battle.

Exiting the portal, Reimu smiled as she observed the now clear blue sky above instead of the dark clouds bellowing around the tower, while the Gerudo forces and Leia herself all cheered when they saw them coming out of the portal, with the portal itself closing up once the group was out, sealing the gateway to the void between dimensions up again.  
"Whew, that was one battle I wouldn't want to experience again." Link said.  
"I'll say. Although I have to admit that I kinda liked being like you as a Fierce Deity…" Zelda said.  
"I agree with Zelda here, it felt to me as an unknown strength coursed through my veins like someone granted me extra power." Saria said, nodding.  
Link giggled at this.  
"Well, that's because the mask must have divided its power between us for the time we needed it." He said.  
"True. I do wonder what is going to happen now with the Purified Fierce Deity's Mask destroyed…" Impa said.  
"I honestly have no idea. It's likely we must have kept a fragment of its power for ourselves or it must dissipate over time or already has dissipated… it's likely that only time will tell what has fully happened to it." Link said.  
"I see your point." Rauru said, just as Reimu reunited with the fleet and in turn got a reunion with her sister Leia, hugging her.  
"So, now that we've lost our respected Triforce Pieces, what's going to happen now?" Link asked Zelda.  
"I have no idea, but I believe that we may have kept part of their respective essences in turn, so it would do nothing to hinder our wisdom and courage respectively," Zelda said, "but I see why you've asked that question, given that our general objective is complete."  
"At least you two can rest with the comforting thought of having used the Triforce together for the cause of good and not for a selfish desire in regards to power or anything." Impa said, putting a hand on both children's respective shoulders."  
"Do you have any idea where you want to go now?" Darunia asked.  
"Well, it depends mostly. I think we should look up our friends at the forest to show them that we're back and once more alive." Saria said.  
"Saria has a point; I doubt the other Kokiri are aware of our initial resurrection…" Link said.  
"Let's tell them that the wish of the Triforce brought you back alive. It should work with the wish in the first place." Impa said.  
"True. It would supply us with a decent cover-up in regards to what has happened to us overall." Saria said, nodding.  
"Indeed." Link said, nodding.  
"The Gorons should know that I've been around alive and well, but what about the Hyrulean Sea Zoras? I haven't seen them around as well…" Darunia said.  
"I should go and visit them to let them know I am fine, if only to deter my father's worries about me." Ruto said.  
"I say we all should take time off to settle our personal affairs first and return for a get together and whatever meetings require our immediate attention. That way we should be able to get things done quicker." Link said.  
"Great idea. It should help us getting back in the swing of things again." Saria said, smiling at Link who smiled in return.  
"So, it's settled then, we'll first handle our own personal affairs and then proceed with the meetings." Impa said.  
"I'll send couriers out to let you know when the meetings will be held so you all have time to prepare yourselves accordingly. Later on I shall pass on the invitations to those whose presence is required and who is invited to join in." Zelda said.  
"Right, Saria and I should be around the Forest or the Sacred Forest Meadow. I'll be sure to make a map or something to ensure he won't get lost." Link said.  
"That is most considerate of you, Link." Zelda said with a smile.  
"Where will you go, Nabooru?" Impa then asked.  
"I'll definitely be heading to the fortress to see how things are there and will set things straight where needed. I may be more lenient to those who seek redemption, but I won't be as forgiving when it comes to those whom have taken pride in betraying me and/or willingly joining Ganondorf's side." The Gerudo leader said.  
"Oh? What do you plan to do with them?" Link asked.  
"Those who show genuine guilt will be spared of the worst punishments, but they'll likely have to start from the bottom again to earn their redemption. This may also include putting them on probation for several months to a year or so, depending on how severe their acts were and how much they are willing to give to earn it. As for the ones whom don't show remorse, they'll likely be exiled to a distant land, as long as they don't show their faces here and within our settlement in the Great Bay area." She replied.  
"So you won't be killing them?" Saria asked.  
"No, unless they decide to do something stupid and we are forced to strike them down in self-defense, but other than that, I consider death being too good for them. I prefer the notion of letting them stay alive and let them live with the shame they have brought upon themselves, coupled with the humiliation they would have to suffer from. The worst cases also will be stripped of their homes and possessions. Consider it a discommendation for them if you will." Nabooru said.  
"I understand." Zelda said, nodding.  
"Well, I guess it's time for us to go home then." Reimu said after she and her sister Leia moved on Reimu's ship, as Leia's vessel was destroyed by Ganjora in his beast form prior…  
"I also want to thank you for bringing those airships along, Reimu. Without them, I would be at a loss as to how we would have gotten down from here without falling to death." Link said.  
"It's no problem, Link." Reimu said.  
"I could have made some leaves to use as parachutes for a soft landing. Then again I wouldn't be sure where we would even land." Saria said.  
"It's alright, Saria. Be glad we got some help from an outside, friendly source." Darunia said.  
"That I am indeed." Saria said, smiling brightly.  
Darunia smiled, thumping his arms on his chest in happiness as he stood there, Reimu safely taking them to the ship where they would take the survivors and freed prisoners along with them towards their respective homelands.  
"I hope Epona's alright." Link said.  
"I'm sure she'll be fine; Romani and Cremia should be taking care of her for the time we spent in Termina altogether." Zelda said, reassuring Link, who smiled in response.  
"I am so glad that the battle is finally over," Ruto said, "for a moment I did fear that it would be our last fight and that Ganjora would kill us all."  
"I understand your concerns, Ruto. Be happy that we managed to come out on top after this long, excruciating fight." Nabooru said.  
"You have no idea." Ruto said, smiling at Nabooru.  
"You can use the rest once we're on the ships, we'll see to it that we'll return to Hyrule safely." Reimu said.  
"Thank you once more, Reimu." Zelda said.  
"Don't mention it." Reimu replied, smiling as the ships came into view after passing over the areas that still had trails of the snowboard ride and the destroyed underground headquarters.


	59. Chapter 59: Aftermath

_Chapter 59: Aftermath_

In the days that followed at the end of the final battle against Garo Ganjora, much changed within both Hyrule and Termina. Once the word got out that the menace was finally defeated, the populations of both lands erupted in cheers and went on massive celebrations. The survivors returned to their respective homes to be reunited with their loved ones, those soldiers who were on the run due to having sided with the enemy were eventually captured and those who managed to evade capture had bounties placed on their heads. This didn't just count for the Hyrulean and/or Terminan Soldiers though; this rule also applied to the Gerudo. In fact, some groups looking for the fugitives consisted of both soldiers and Gerudo altogether. At times the search parties had success in finding the fugitives, although there were soldiers and Gerudo, whom regretted what they did, whom actively sought out such parties in order to turn themselves in, leading to their more peaceful arrest due to their full co-operation. Still, there were soldiers and Gerudo whom were still on the run, still believing they did nothing wrong or otherwise couldn't or wouldn't believe that their 'masters' were finally dead. There were only a few occasions where the groups would find the ones they were looking for having committed suicide, due to them wanting to prevent capture or otherwise being unable to live with the shame that their actions had brought upon them.

When the heroes finally arrived back into Hyrule, they could see that Hyrule Castle was already in the process of being rebuilt. Much to Zelda's delight, there were several people waiting for them, including Zelda's father, the King of Hyrule.  
"Father, you're alive!" Zelda said, hugging him.  
"Yes, my dear princess, I am." He replied.  
"How did you survive? I haven't seen you ever since I was taken away with my friends to Termina…" Zelda said.  
"I did my best to buy enough time for most of the civilians and others to escape, before several of my advisers told me that I did everything I could and I should retreat myself, knowing that Hyrule would inevitably be lost. I decided to disguise myself to prevent capture when it became obvious the battle was lost, but I haven't stopped there; I've launched several operations of my own to come to the aid of my people and took down several enemies myself. What has happened to you, my child? Your clothes are in tatters… and where is your hat?"  
"It's a long story, but my friends and I fought together against the main enemies and eventually won. We also made the wish on the Triforce to restore the damage that those two have caused during their time here." Zelda said.  
"I see. I do expect to hear everything from you once we're alone."  
"Yes, father. I've also wanted to request to hold audiences on my behalf in the upcoming days."  
"Consider your requests granted, we all have tough times behind us. It is only rightful to honor the sacrifices we made and the people who fought for us in order to bring this all to a good end." The King said, nodding with a smile which in turn made Zelda smile.  
The King then turned to Link and the Six Sages.  
"I understand you've been at her side. It pleases me to come to know my daughter's closest friends." The King said, acknowledging even Nabooru as a friend.  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness." Link said, bowing politely, as did the others.  
"No need for formalities, child. Friends of my daughter are friends of mine." The King said, smiling.  
"Thank you." Link said, smiling.

Once the group had fully disembarked from the ship and were safely escorted to Hyrule Castle, they went their separate ways in order to inform their other friends that the war and the battles were finally over and that they could finally live their lives in peace. Link and Saria both returned to the Kokiri Forest, where upon their return, with Navi, Tatl and Tael at their side, were almost being dog-piled by the remaining Kokiri whom were elated to see them again. Only Mido and Fado were more controlled, but happy to see Link and Saria again. Ruto was being held closely by her own father, King Zora, upon her return into Zora's Domain, with Ruto this time accepting the hug with glee, having matured over the course of the travels. All the Gorons in Goron City, Death Mountain all cheered when Darunia returned, with Goron City having returned to its former state thanks to the wish of the Triforce as the lava had either dried up over time or otherwise whisked away by the wish on the Triforce, with Death Mountain and its crater being now more at ease. Rauru returned to his duties as the Guardian of the Temple of Time, although he did his part in rebuilding the temple by using his powers in order to keep the debris from collapsing again as the workers reinforced the structure. Nabooru returned to the Gerudo Fortress with Reimu, Leia and the Pirates whom decided to move in the fortress, where they were being received with open arms by Aveil and the other Gerudo whom remained loyal to her or otherwise made a heel-face turn over the course of the whole war. As for Princess Zelda, she and Impa both held a private meeting with the King of Hyrule himself after the princess got a brand new hat to wear, where Zelda told her father everything what has happened to her, with Impa confirming the story as a whole. The King was impressed to learn that Zelda traveled through all those places, grueling at the mentioning of the places like Ikana Canyon and the Skulltula cavern as well as the numerous injuries Zelda herself had suffered along with the others over the course of her grand adventure, although he had to stop Zelda at a point when she mentioned her death at the hands of Ganondorf…

"Wait right there one second, Zelda… you actually died?!" The King asked, blinking as he had to make sure he had heard it right, although Zelda's expression pretty much confirmed it for him…  
"Yes, father," Zelda said with a solemn expression, "there was a brief period where I didn't make it, but I was not alone. Four of my friends, including Link himself, had died along with me back then."  
"How did that happen?"  
"It was Ganondorf's doing; he and Majora first weakened us so that the Master Sword would lose its power on its turn, before torturing Link. Once he was thrown off the tower, I tried to make a last stand of my own, only to be met with a similar treatment. What made it worse was that Link actually took the hit of an attack Majora sent at me for me by pushing me out of the way."  
"I see, so how were you brought back? Was it the Triforce?"  
"No," Impa interjected, "We first secured the bodies to ensure they wouldn't decompose over time, while I personally hid the spirits of Zelda, Link and the three others within my own Shadow. We eventually learned of the Queen of the Fairies named Venus, whom we decided to visit. It was she whom restored Zelda, Link and the three others back to life. We regret not having told anyone about their initial resurrection at first, but this was mostly done to keep whatever friends they had in other places whom were still alive out of Ganondorf and Majora's clutches as potential bargaining chips or having them being killed out of spite."  
"I see," The King said, nodding, "so how did you manage to hold out for so long?"  
"The bodies were sealed into an ice cavern in order to preserve them properly, while I secured their spirits. Together we've worked on infiltrating enemy ranks to see what they were up to and what their plans were, from which we learned they had set up outposts within the vast forest between Hyrule and Termina as well as a barren lava sanctuary hidden between Snowhead and Ikana to prepare for an invasion in Termina. After the resurrection, we managed to disable both of the outposts, but we couldn't prevent the invasion taking place while we were moving through the depths of the lava sanctuary itself." Impa said.  
"During the times we traveled around, we also grew stronger, gained some new weapons and learned some new skills, which we put to great use against our enemies as well as solving puzzles within an abandoned, hidden temple which was mostly void of enemy troops around, save for a Skulltula or two. We figured that hidden temple could be made of great use as a training ground for our soldiers." Zelda said.  
"I see." The King said, nodding again as he listened with interest.  
"Once we went through the temple, we came across a coastal area where a boat was waiting for us. We took the boat towards the island where Ganondorf and Majora's lair was, coincidentally stumbling across their underground headquarters. We messed up their plans there, but Majora then tried to drown us in the lava that was present around the area, eventually causing the machinery to overload before it exploded. We barely managed to escape with our lives from the explosion, after which we finally arrived at the humongous tower that was their lair." Zelda said.  
"So they did make a tower?" The King asked.  
"More or less; due to its complexity we actually wondered if they simply modified it next to the occupation. The darn thing was taller than the Stone Tower in Ikana!" Zelda said.  
"Zelda!" Impa said, chastising her for saying a bad word.  
"It's alright, Impa," The King said, nodding to her, "but was that tower really that tall?!"  
"It was, and filled with enemies, rising lava traps and tons of complicated devices we've never seen before." Zelda said, nodding.  
"Eventually we confronted our nemeses at the very top of the tower, leading to a long and hard battle which eventually resulted in our victory. And here we are." Impa said, concluding the story.  
"I understand. I believe I do owe you an apology, Zelda." The King said.  
"Father?" Zelda asked, blinking.  
"I should have taken your warnings and premonitions regarding Ganondorf more seriously. Then again, I've ruled the unified lands for over ten years, perhaps the comfort of the peace around must have made me careless. Perhaps if I would have seen this treason coming sooner, this all would have likely never happened." He said, expressing a tone of genuine regret in his voice.  
"It's alright, father. Even I have done things of which the consequences were unexpected to me. Perhaps we can make use of the time of peace we have now to fix our mistakes." Zelda said.  
"I do believe you are right. Let's prepare the ceremony that will be at hand, I'll see to it that you and your friends will be rewarded for your efforts in the battles we faced." The King said.  
"Thank you, father." Zelda said, smiling.

Several days later, after having settled their personal affairs, Link and the Six Sages were being summoned to Hyrule Castle. Having packed what they needed, Link and Saria prepared themselves and Epona for their trip to the castle. The Kokiri looked on in curiosity, while Mido approached them.  
"Where are you going this time?" He asked.  
"We're headed back for the Castle. A friend of ours wishes to see us." Link said, smiling.  
"I see. How long will you be gone this time?" Mido then asked.  
"I hope not too long, but you'll never know with what she has planned. Either way, there won't be any battles for now." Link said.  
"Not for the time being at least." Saria said, agreeing with Link with a smile.  
"I understand. Just be careful underway." Mido said.  
"Don't worry, we will." Saria said as she and Link mounted the young horse, whom neighed in content, before she took off on a gentle, eased pace towards the exit of the Kokiri Forest towards Hyrule Castle.  
The Kokiri waved them off with a smile, with Link and Saria smiling and waving back before they were out of sight.  
"So, what do you think Zelda wanted to see us for?" Saria asked as they entered Hyrule Field.  
"I have no idea, but she said it was of high importance. In any case we'll be meeting the King of Hyrule formally and all of the other Sages and our friends are going to be there as well. I also heard that Zelda wanted to see Reimu and her band at the castle." Link said.  
"The whole thing is making me quite excited actually, I don't know why…" Saria said with a smile.  
"Heh, maybe it's because we finally are going to participate in something that doesn't require fighting? It's actually about time something peaceful happened…" Link said.  
"That bad, huh?" Saria asked.  
"Yeah, the first peaceful night back at home, I was a complete wreck."  
"You're not the only one. According to Fado, we slept for about two days straight. She even wondered why we both were sleeping in your house."  
"Good thing we told her it was mostly to chase the nightmares away. It shouldn't be too surprising that we slept that long though; physically we may be all fine and dandy, but mentally… that's another story altogether."  
"Touché. After all we both experienced quite the traumatic events, our deaths being the worst ones."  
"Not to mention all those monsters we had to face. At least we have a few things in common…"  
"True that. Hey, the castle is in sight with its drawbridge down."  
Looking forward, Link and Saria saw that the drawbridge was indeed down, allowing them to enter the now-greatly renovated Hyrule Castle Town, where the two saw several civilians continuing repair work or otherwise being in business, with several Hylians, Gorons, Zoras and Gerudos watching them pass by.  
"Let's grab the invitations so the guards can let us pass." Saria said.  
"Right." Link said, nodding.

The Hyrule Castle Gate was one of the things that was quickly rebuilt over the days after Garo Ganjora's defeat and the subsequent restoration of the lands because of the wish made on the Triforce. The resident guards did a double-take when they saw a young, red horse with white manes and two children approaching them, coming to a halt in front of the gate.  
"Uh, aren't you two a bit too young to be coming here?" The Guard asked.  
"We're here on a special invitation by Her Royal Highness, Princess Zelda." Link said as he and Saria brandished the invitation.  
The guard looked them over, nodding as both sported the genuine autographs of the Princess herself.  
"Very well, you may pass. Have a safe trip." The Guard said as he ordered his comrades to open the gate, which they did.  
"Thank you, sir." Link and Saria said as they watched the gate open up, before passing through the open gate and moving on the path towards Hyrule Castle.  
Arriving at the front bridge of Hyrule Castle, they saw Rauru, Darunia, Ruto and Nabooru waiting for them.  
"Hey there." Link said, greeting them with a smile.  
"Hey, kid." Nabooru said to Link with a smile, nodding towards Saria as well.  
"The Princess and Impa should be with us soon, Reimu and her followers should be arriving later." Darunia said.  
"Alright. So, what is this about?" Saria asked.  
"It appears that His Royal Highness, the King of Hyrule, wants to see us in person." Nabooru said, just as the drawbridge came down, with Impa and Zelda standing on the other side of it.  
"Hey there." Zelda said, smiling as she and Impa approached the group.  
"Hey, Zel. I take it you're coming to get us?" Link asked, with Saria giggling at seeing Zelda blush lightly once more at Link's affectionate nickname for her.  
"That's right. Father wishes to meet you all in person, even though he knows Darunia already." She said, smiling.  
"Well, let's not keep my other Sworn Brother waiting." Darunia said, smiling.  
With that, the group moved into the Castle itself, with Zelda and Impa leading the way towards the throne room.

Entering the throne room itself, the group would see the row of Royal Guards standing at either side of the red carpet, with the King himself sitting on his throne, smiling warmly at his daughter and her friends.  
"Well, if it isn't my Sworn Brother Darunia. It pleases me to see you present here." He said.  
"Likewise, Brother." Darunia said, smiling as he thumped his chest in enthusiasm.  
Link, out of habit, got on one knee and bowed down towards the King as a show of respect.  
"Your Highness, it is truly a great honor to meet you." He said.  
"Rise, young one. It pleases me to see one of the people whom has been aiding my daughter when she needed it in person as well. In fact, the stories I heard of you two working together with your other friends have been quite intriguing. Better yet, seeing each of you from the different races that dwell here show a sign of perfect co-operation, as if the races of Hyrule truly have united together." The King responded with a smile.  
This brought a smile to Link's face, even more so when the King readily accepted Nabooru as the representative and spokeswoman on behalf of the Gerudo tribe, something that Ganondorf himself tried to do before, but failed as a result of his plans of treason being exposed. Nabooru's efforts to make an alliance with the King of Hyrule was unsurprisingly far more successful, especially since Princess Zelda herself had a lot of faith in her, which was proven over the time they spent together and fighting enemies together. Nabooru also explained to the King about how her tribe as a whole got into a civil war, with the King nodding in interest, especially when Nabooru informed him that those Gerudo whom opposed Ganondorf in the first place have done their best to gather and guard the survivors alongside any surviving soldiers where needed, which by itself would increase the trust the King had in Nabooru herself, especially when the information she gave him was confirmed and backed up by the others.

After listening to the group about what they had gone through in order to save the lands, the King finally spoke.  
"I cannot express enough how thankful I am that you have fought so valiantly to save the lands and their people, even through the hardest of times. Which is why I'm informing you that tomorrow a ceremony shall be held in your honor. Until then, consider yourselves as Royal Guests of the Castle and its princess." The King said.  
"Thank you, Your Highness. We expect the other people whom have done their best to aid us in the conflicts to arrive tomorrow as well." Nabooru said.  
The King nodded in understanding and acceptance with a smile, before flagging down one of the Royal Valets whom served as a butler.  
"Escort these heroes to the Royal Guest Chamber near the room of my daughter. It is time for the bad ceremony to take place." The King said.  
"What do you mean by that?" Saria asked curiously.  
"There have been several soldiers whom have served me whom have shown acts of cowardice and treason. Impa will be attending as I need someone to see whom is lying or being truthful if they wish to explain their actions. I will be good enough to show mercy to those whom have genuine regrets or otherwise have redeemed themselves over the course of the conflicts, those whom show no regrets in their treasonous actions will be met with severe punishments, varying from being stripped of their titles, ranks and/or houses, demoted or perhaps even exiled or, in the case of the high treason offenders, executed." The King said.  
The group nodded in understanding.  
"For now, you can go to your guest quarters to rest up there. Tomorrow will be a day of celebrations." The King said, smiling.  
"Thank you, Your Highness." Link said, bowing again.  
"You can join them if you wish, dear Zelda." The King then said to his daughter, who smiled at him in kind.  
"Thank you, father." Zelda said, moving off with the others as the valet took them to the guest room.

Several minutes later, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto and Nabooru had gathered inside the Castle's Courtyard, a place where Zelda loved to spend some time in the open. It was also a bit of a trip down the memory lane for both the young hero and the Hyrulean Princess, as the very courtyard was the spot where they also met for the first time.  
"To think that our adventure as a whole began over a year ago…" Link said as he sat on the steps towards the platform where Zelda spied on the clandestine meeting between her father and Ganondorf a year prior.  
"Yeah. It's hard to believe that only a few decisions and actions can influence events so big that they could have lasting consequences…" Zelda said, nodding.  
"I'll say. I mean, how long has this whole chain of events lasted?" Nabooru asked.  
"I lost track of time to be honest, but I feel certain that it must have taken up at least a month or so, maybe more, considering we've been traveling primarily on foot or by horse or by boat…" Link said.  
"Not to mention the times we were rendered out cold or when we were among the dead…" Ruto said.  
"Yeah… and the times we also had to rest also took up some time. I'm surprised we eventually made it through this all." Saria said.  
"Yeah. Time also flies whenever you're occupied with something, like all those long battles…" Link said.  
"True, not to mention all those puzzles we had to solve underway…" Zelda said.  
"We definitely need a vacation, I assume." Nabooru said.  
"That's right. At least we can now do the things we WANT to do instead of the things that we HAVE to do." Ruto said.  
"Indeed, it should definitely do us good to have some time off and relax for a change." Saria said.  
"Right, that way we should have cleaned our minds too in a way by thinking of the good things." Zelda said.  
"You bet." Link said as the five relaxed in the courtyard, absentmindedly picking up the sounds from Zelda's father doing his work as a King by passing judgment on the traitors and granting mercy to those who showed genuine remorse or have in any other form or fashion redeemed themselves from their mistakes.  
Nabooru was listening in the most on this, seeing as she was going to do a similar act upon her return to the Gerudo Fortress.  
"You know, I would like it if you four would accompany me towards the Gerudo Fortress when it's time." Nabooru said.  
"Oh? Any reason why?" Zelda asked.  
"The main reason is that each of you will receive the Gerudo Membership Card, this way you can access and enter all areas of the Fortress at will. I'm extending this also to Darunia, Impa and Rauru as well." She said.  
"That is really nice of you." Zelda said with a smile.  
Nabooru smiled back at her in response.  
"Perhaps this will be a sign of long-lasting peace between our respective races." She said.  
The others nodded as they relaxed, wishing that this time of peace would really last for a long time to come. Still, they would make sure the lands were safe and were more than ready to come to the people's aid in the time of need, but for now they wanted nothing more than relaxing and just put their thoughts and minds aside, although Link, Saria, Ruto and Nabooru were curious as to what the ceremony of tomorrow was going to be about. Zelda had a distinct feeling that it would be something to express gratitude for their efforts to keep the lands safe. She would soon realize that it would be something more than just an act of gratitude…


	60. Chapter 60: Epilogue

_Chapter 60: Epilogue_

The next day, Link woke up for a new day, blinking at first at seeing he was now in a royal suite that was fitting of an honored guest room within a castle, before blinking again at seeing that Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Impa, Darunia and Rauru were sleeping, while on different beds, in the same room as he was. He then remembered why he was here, yawning a little and stretching his arms, before plopping down on the cushion again for another moment. As he was now dressed in some night clothes the valet had supplied him, he decided to get out of the bed in search of the bathroom to wash up properly. As he got out to where he could wash himself, he startled as he saw the King outside the room.  
"Ah, Your Highness!" He said.  
"Well, good morning, young lad. My apologies for startling you." The King said.  
"It's alright. What can I do for you?"  
"I wanted to speak to you alone for a little while… at least until the others wake up."  
"Sure thing." Link said, nodding as he was curious to know what the King himself had to say.  
"First of all, I wish to express my sincere admiration for your skills in battle. From what my daughter Zelda has told me, your battle skills and valor are putting those of most of my soldiers to shame, especially since you refused to give up in even the darkest of times."  
"It's no problem, Your Highness," Link said, getting a little bit shy to be complimented by a King no less, "I just do what I believe is right to protect the lands and those I care about."  
"And the result of that has paid you off in space, especially since you simply do it without being paid or simply told you to do. Which is why I want to give you an offer."  
That piqued Link's interest.  
"An offer?"  
"Yes. I wish for you to give my soldiers some pointers for when it comes to their fighting skills, so they can help in keeping the lands safe in future calamities more properly."  
"You mean like a battle instructor or tutor?"  
"Something like that, yes. It may seem odd considering your current age and everything, but believe me when I say that this can be of great benefit. You can expect soldiers at first not taking you seriously, until you actually show them what you're made of. With the skills you've gained over time, you're practically the best and youngest swordsman Hyrule has at this moment."  
Link nodded, smiling at the King.  
"I accept your offer, Your Highness. I feel certain that the soldiers will benefit from being taught some new skills. I can even recommend a Sword Training School in Clock Town, Termina that will suit the needs for the soldiers over there, or something the soldiers here can benefit from too in case I get occupied by other matters that require my attention."  
"Very well, I will take it into consideration. In which part of Clock Town is that school located?"  
"It's located in West Clock Town, close to the gate leading to West Termina Field and by extension the Great Bay area. The school can definitely give some pointers in the basics and a challenge for those who think they are ready to take the Expert Course."  
"I thank you for your information. I also want to express my admiration for your courage and selflessness. I find that Zelda has become also quite more assertive as of late. She has become quite interested in you, I might add."  
"She is?" Link asked, subconsciously feeling his heartbeat increasing a little.  
"Yes. She admires not only your battle skills, but also has felt touched at your blatant disregard for your own safety; she seemed the most touched when you took a shot that Majora fired at her yourself in her defense, regardless of what happened after."  
Link was actually at a loss for words here, all he could give in response was having a slight grin on his face while scratching the back of his head. The King smiled at this.  
"I also feel like you and your closest friends can also have another job to be added to this." He then said.  
"Oh?" Link asked.  
"Since you have friends of each race that live here, I think it would be fitting that you and Zelda both could form a council of sorts, which your friends acting as representatives for their respective races, so you can discuss the matters at hand in times of need and see what you can do to assist those who need it. Through this it will show that Hyrule truly is a united land where no one gets left behind, if you get what I mean." The King said.  
Link gave it a serious thought.  
"That's not a bad idea actually, I'll see what they think of it first so I have their input on the matter. Besides, it shows that everyone will be treated equally." Link said.  
"A very wise decision indeed. You seem to have quite the talent for making the right decisions. You'd make quite an amazing ruler of a country that has the full support of the people once you're old enough." The King said.  
Link felt quite flattered at this compliment, making him smile.  
"Your friends should be waking up anytime soon now. I need to make the preparations for the ceremony today, so I will see you soon." The King said.  
"Thank you, Your Highness." Link said, bowing once more, before the two parted ways for the time being.

Unaware to Link, Zelda had woken up after he had left and was stretching out. She got out of her bed and walked to the door, being slightly distracted at hearing Rauru grunt a little as he moved to lay in a different position, therefore not noticing the door opening as Link got back in the room, while Link himself watched the King walk away down the corridor. Just as Link turned around to get back in the room, he bumped straight into Zelda as she walked out of the room, causing Link to fall flat on his rear as he grunted, but he had no time to look up as Zelda fell on top of him.  
"OW!" both children said as they landed.  
"Oh, sorry about that. I didn't see you there." Zelda said to Link.  
"It's alright, I should have looked where I was going too." Link said, as both children got up.  
"So, what were you doing out here this early?"  
"Nothing special really, except having had a private word with your father, the King."  
"Oh? What did he say?"  
"He revealed parts of what is likely going to be our reward for helping the people and defeating our nemeses. In fact, he offered us a job."  
"What kind of job?"  
"He said something about the eight of us forming some kind of council in which we can discuss the matters within Hyrule and beyond at hand and see what we can do to help each other, as in the respective races, out. I think that can be used to our advantage; we could use the Chamber of the Sages as the meeting place for this."  
"Hmmm, you bring up a very interesting point there. Anything else?"  
"His Royal Highness also offered me to help the loyal soldiers out in sharpening their sword skills. I even went so far as to recommend the Sword Training School in Clock Town for this, so they have the basic course and the Challenge course altogether."  
"That's not a bad idea, but you do realize that Clock Town is days away from here, even on horseback, right?"  
"I know that. It's actually part of my idea to also make it a test of will and determination, to see which soldiers are willing to become the top-notch swordsmen they aspire to be and which soldiers are either complete slackers or wish to excel in other weaponry, such as archery or artillery."  
"And it also gives the soldiers experience with riding a horse for a long distance or just go on foot while also having kind of a survival thing going on. That should not only improve their sword skills, but also their condition too."  
"Exactly. That way they can prove to us that they are doing whatever they can in order to prepare themselves for any other events that require them to defend the lands from evil, just in case."  
"I agree. Perhaps we can bring this up in our first council meeting so we can set up a proper training program as well. Perhaps the Gerudo can help in instructing with other matters of sword combat or when it comes to the use of spears and glaives."  
"My thought exactly." Link said, smiling.  
"Looks like we have quite the planning to do then." Zelda then said.  
"Indeed, but as long as there is peace, we should take advantage of it. Perhaps we can travel around and see what else we can possibly learn to improve our skills even further."  
"Indeed. We could make it into our vacation then as well."  
"Say, when will the Temple of Time be accessible again?"  
"This afternoon at best. Why?"  
"I wanted to know, since I think it's the time again to put the Master Sword to rest again until it's needed to slay evil. I'll still have the Golden Sword and the Great Fairy's Sword to defend myself with though…" Link said.  
"Wise idea. Besides, we should keep the Master Sword as a secret weapon in case the time was there. Which reminds me, has it gone back to normal actually? Since the Fairy Queen Venus has merged the Master Sword with your Gilded Sword after our resurrection..."  
"I think so; when I got to bed upon our return to the Kokiri Forest and all I saw that I was carrying two swords again. Perhaps the influence of the Fierce Deity's Mask had something to do with it, since I had been wielding that oversized Golden Double Helix Sword during our last confrontation with Garo Ganjora. I didn't pay much attention to it at first to be honest; getting the much needed rest after all those hectic battles and all other events was my primary concern, same with Saria; she's been sleeping over at my place ever since we got back, mostly to help in chasing any potential nightmares away…" Link said.  
Zelda understood this all too well, in fact it was one of the rare occasions she actually felt comfortable with Impa's company during the night so she could sleep easy as well. Given Impa's duty as Zelda's attendant, it was only the right thing to do.  
"We should check it once the ceremony's over. I wouldn't want to keep father waiting." Zelda said.  
"Right." Link said, nodding as the two got prepared for the day.

Several hours later, the ceremony was on its way. The King of Hyrule sat on his throne, the royal guards standing in a row along the red carpet and at the main doors. Several civilians from Hyrule and Termina both, including Gorons, Zoras and Gerudo along with the Hylians, were present as they had been invited. Among them were also Malon, Talon, Ingo, the Indigo-gos, the Goron Elder from Snowhead, Romani and Cremia.  
"I wonder what this is about." Romani said.  
"This is in celebration of those whom have helped in saving the lands of Hyrule and Termina." Cremia said.  
It was then that trumpets sounded in the hall, indicating the ceremony was about to begin. Everyone went quiet as eight people stepped in the room. Malon's eyes went wide.  
"It's the Fairy Boy from the forest… and is that the Princess?!" She asked her father.  
"That they are… and look, they must be friends of theirs, considering the friendly glances they give each other…" Talon replied.  
As soon as Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Impa, Darunia and Rauru stood in front of the throne, the King spoke.  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here today to honor those people whom have contributed in saving our homes, our families, our loved ones and our friends. These people have gone through great lengths and have faced many trials and fought many enemies to accomplish the nigh-impossible task on defeating the villains responsible for this crisis. These people here have shown the power, wisdom and the courage needed to overcome all of these trials to reach their ultimate goal, which is to bring peace and prosperity back to our lands." The King said, before approaching the group, drawing his sword, but keeping it low.  
Link and the Seven Sages kneeled in front of him, each with a smile on their faces.  
"Citizens of Hyrule, words cannot describe how grateful we are of you having successfully achieved the peace that you have fought for, defeating our sworn enemies once and for all. By Royal Decree, with this sword, I shall dub thee Knights of Hyrule." The King said, before performing the accolade ceremony on each of the group, giving them a new rank by giving each of them a gentle stroke with the flat part of his sword against the sides of their necks.  
The resident audience blinked at seeing the Princesses Zelda and Ruto being given the same title as Link, but they were happy for them nonetheless, as it showed that everyone of the group has done their part. Once each of the group had been dubbed knight, they rose as the King handed them the insignias of their new order, which consisted of a badge with the crest of the Royal Family, with an added touch of having a custom-made insignia on it that represented their respective element/force, the latter being the wisdom for Zelda and the courage for Link. This was done as the King had been informed by Zelda of their adventures after all. Each of the group happily accepted this new insignia as a badge of honor, coupled with the new privileges that came with their new title. The surprising thing to most people remained was that Zelda was being given the same privileges as well, as if she was being treated equally despite being the King's daughter. Then again, not many have witnessed a princess doing her part in fighting off enemy forces personally, which in turn has effectively debunked the stereotypical part of princesses being a damsel in distress as observed in most stories. So seeing someone of royalty being also an active combatant was definitely a welcome change, in turn increasing the people's respect for her altogether.  
"Congratulations to your new, added titles. You are now part of the Order of the Knights of Hyrule! May you serve long and well. Great songs will be sung of your deeds. You will be remembered with honor." The King said, after which the audience erupted in cheers, giving the group a standing ovation.  
This all brought a smile to Link's face, not just because of being given this title at his age, but because people recognized him for his heroic deeds to save the lands of Hyrule and Termina.

"Now, bring in the Gerudo Reimu, Leia and their entourage." The King said.  
As the group and the audience turned around, they saw the group of six Gerudo entering the throne room. Each of them were quite nervous, but since word got out of their own heroic deeds and their quest for redemption for the most of them, people actually began to respect them. Which is why they were here as Link and the Sages stepped aside. The six Gerudo also kneeled in front of the King, showing their genuine respect for him.  
"The six of you have faced quite the trials of your own as well and most of you performed acts that were out of your control, due to an malevolent, outside force making you do those heinous acts. Yet, when you were freed, you took responsibility for those acts and as such you have sought to redeem yourselves by fighting alongside our soldiers against the hated enemies and secured the safety of the survivors and those who sought refuge in distant villages. For these deeds you will be recognized. Therefore I am giving you a probation time for three months. Prove to us that you would do anything to complete your redemption and prove your loyalty towards your own leaders and those of other races. Once the period is over and your loyalty has been proven, you will be given Honorary Citizenship. All that we ask from you is to cement your loyalty to us. Consider it a final test." The King said.  
"Thank you, Your Highness. We shall prove ourselves worthy to be at your command." Reimu said.  
"See that you do. You are dismissed." The King said with a smile.  
"Don't forget, I'll see you in the Fortress later today." Nabooru said.  
"We'll be there, My Lady." Reimu said, bowing before she left with the others, except for Leia as she was held back.  
"Leia, you have sought out our aid ever since I came to the fortress myself and helped me in ensuring that those Gerudo who were brainwashed were liberated, giving them the chance to redeem themselves. Which is why you are being given the Honorary Citizenship right away in recognition of your deeds to aid us against our enemies." The King said.  
"Thank you, Your Highness." Leia said, bowing again.  
The King nodded with a smile in recognition of Leia's deeds before Leia herself left. With most of the ceremony complete, the festivities began in celebration of the preservation of Hyrule and Termina and the destruction of the evil that had infested it.

A few hours later, Link and the Seven Sages were now standing in the Room of Time, where the Pedestal of Time was still present and miraculously intact even after the destruction of the Temple of Time. With the Temple itself being partially rebuilt and its structure reinforced to make it more resilient against attacks against it, Link felt it was now the right time to return the Master Sword back into its pedestal, to close the gateway between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm in the process, until the time comes where the sword is once more needed to slay the forces of evil. With the iconic thrust downward, Link plunged the Master Sword into its pedestal while the Seven Sages stood around it, the platform they stood on glowing for a brief moment in acceptance. Once this was done, Link and the Seven Sages gazed once more on the evil-banishing blade, before leaving the Temple of Time, heading towards the Gerudo Fortress to complete some of their final tasks before the group would travel around once again. This time, Navi, Tatl and Tael remained at the group's side, not leaving them as they too had grown to learn the value of having a companion by their side, so they were not alone. Before leaving, Zelda played the Song of Time on the Ocarina of Time, closing the restored Door of Time to close off this part of their lives, until the time would come where it would be needed again. This also would ensure that no outsider would barge into the temple and take the Sword for themselves, especially when they were not in possession of the very treasures that could give one access to the Master Sword in the first place. Despite Link's current Golden Sword having lost some of its power, it was by itself still twice as strong as the Gilded Sword by itself once was, making it still a formidable weapon, being only surpassed in power by the Great Fairy's Sword.

Later on, as the group entered Gerudo Valley, the resident Gerudo blinked as they saw Nabooru approaching with an entourage of non-Gerudo people. Some of the guards there reacted on natural instinct and attempted to move to intercept the group, but one quick glare from Nabooru herself made the guards back off immediately, not wanting to risk the ire of their leader. Upon entering the Gerudo Fortress, the resident guards and other Gerudo immediately gave Nabooru a wide berth as well as bowing in respect, evidently recognizing that their leader was now back on business. After dismounting their horses, Epona among them, Link and the Seven Sages then entered the main room of the Gerudo Fortress where Aveil was waiting. Aveil had spent most of the time brooding within the fortress, but as word got out of Nabooru's resurrection and the subsequent liberation of their brainwashed comrades and the arrest of several traitors gave the Second-In-Command hope. Hope which was justified as she instantly rose upon seeing the revitalized Nabooru and her entourage entering the room.  
"Lady Nabooru! It pleases me to see you back in the flesh once again." Aveil said.  
"Likewise, Aveil. What's the status on the prisoners?" Nabooru asked.  
"At your request we have separated those who wish to repent for their wrongdoings from the ones whom still believe they have done nothing wrong. We have detailed accounts on their actions from eyewitnesses. Some of the Gerudo whom sought redemption also helped in apprehending their more treacherous 'comrades', although the latter ones had to be restrained on multiple occasions as they wanted to kill those whom 'sold them out'. Even in jail some of the treacherous Gerudo are still being violent within their cells."  
"I see. It's time to get to business. First, I would like to have Reimu, Leia and those four Gerudo Pirates whom have been accompanying them here."  
"As you wish. And what of your entourage?"  
"They are my friends whom have helped me out within the battles of the past month and vice versa. I want to give them the Gerudo Membership Cards so they can make use of our training facilities whenever they please." Nabooru said in a tone where she would not accept any retorts or protests.  
"I understand, My Lady. Your will shall be done." Aveil said, before she went to work.

A couple of minutes later, Link, Saria, Zelda, Ruto, Impa, Darunia and Rauru were given the Gerudo Membership Cards that allowed them free access to all the facilities the Gerudo Fortress had to offer, before Nabooru took her seat as leader of the Gerudo with Aveil at her side. Then several Gerudo Guards accompanying Reimu, Leia and the four Pirates came in the room, with the Guards taking position at the sides of the carpet and at the door, awaiting further orders. Once again Reimu and Leia as well as the four Gerudo Pirates were quite nervous, but relaxed as they saw Nabooru smiling at them.  
"Reimu and Leia, you and your comrades have served me well, despite the initial interference from certain outside parties," Nabooru said, "since most of you are in the last stages of what you believe to be your quest for redemption, I have decided to give you a special assignment."  
Reimu and Leia looked up, remaining silent.  
"Reimu, your assignment is to be my personal guard along with your sister Leia. Since I will be off traveling around soon again, I need two of my comrades as bodyguards and to assist my friends in their time of need. After observing your records and actions I have concluded that you two are the best qualified for the job." Nabooru said.  
"Thank you, Lady Nabooru. We shall prove ourselves worthy of this honor." Reimu said.  
"See that you do. As for you four," Nabooru said, turning to the remaining Pirates, "you will be assigned a similar position, but you will be at Aveil's command."  
Both the pirates and Aveil nodded in understanding and inwardly Aveil was happy; she had been in danger when the Gerudo Civil War came out and, while she did remain safe, she didn't come out unscathed and several of her loyal comrades were either injured, captured, brainwashed or killed in the ensuing conflicts. So she could use a group of Gerudo who would remain loyal and protect her in case of Nabooru's absence.  
"We accept the assignment." One of the pirates said as all four of them bowed.  
"Good. If the rest of the redemption seeking Gerudo are as wise as you demonstrated, I have no doubt that our people will over time be more respected than ever before, especially since we have allied with the King of Hyrule. You may go to your posts now." Nabooru said.  
The six indeed went to their posts.  
"Alright, bring me the other Gerudo who are seeking redemption." Nabooru said.  
"As you wish. You have anything special in mind?" Aveil asked.  
"Since I'm in a good mood, I've decided that each of the Gerudo whom are seeking redemption can stay with us and will therefore not be stripped of their ranks and homes. However, this doesn't mean they get away with it scot-free; I want to test them to see if their redemption-seeking quest is genuine." Nabooru said.  
"What do you have in mind?" Aveil asked.  
"If they really want to show that they want to redeem themselves, they must show it. A specialized training course will be prepared for this in our training center, where they must face several of the enemies we have captured there." Nabooru said.  
"Would this also count for some of the traitors?"  
"No. I have decided that all of the traitors will be exiled from this fortress and sent to either the isolated Gerudo Pirate fortress in the Great Bay area or otherwise into the Forest area close to that Forest outpost I have visited. Since that area is largely abandoned, it should be a fitting place for the exiled to gather there to live with the shame they have brought upon themselves. I regret having to take this course of action, but I have to show that such heinous actions of treason are simply intolerable."  
"Will this also mean they have a chance to come back?" Zelda asked.  
"Only if they have an actual change of heart and are also seek redemption. But this will go at a different level than with the redemption-seekers here; those who are exiled will have nothing to their name and thus must be willing to work VERY hard if they ever want a chance at regaining their honor." Nabooru asked.  
"So in a way it's like what my father does as a discommendation act, am I correct?"  
"Suffice it to say, your old man inspired me to follow this kind of example." Nabooru said with a smirk, to which Zelda responded with a smile and an acknowledging nod.

Soon enough, the judgments have passed. While the redemption-seeking Gerudo were elated that they at least had a place to stay, despite being on probation and earning what they seek, the treacherous Gerudo were upset in regards to being exiled. While some of the Gerudo appeared to show signs of remorse by accepting their fates with a bowed head, others had to be dragged out of the chambers while shouting curses at their fellow kin as well as Nabooru's friends. Link's fingers itched to show them a thing or two, but Nabooru stopped him.  
"Remember this, kid; sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." She said.  
Nodding, Link relented and stood down, wondering if it was still because of the Fierce Deity's Mask's influence that made him a bit on edge when his friends were concerned. A comforting hand around the shoulders from both Zelda and Saria put him at ease, causing him to hug his friends.

As business picked back up in both Hyrule and Termina, it appeared that both lands seemed to enjoy a time of peaceful co-existence and co-operation. Lon Lon Ranch for instance agreed to a brand partnership with Romani Ranch, which would prove to become a positive influx on the businesses of both ranches respectively, so much that the Gorman Brothers eventually forfeited their own business and began to focus more on the horse racing department, their milk business already having sealed its fate once their acts to put Romani Ranch out of business became public knowledge. Clock Town's Sword Training School also received a positive influx of business, primarily because of Link's recommendation to make use of its facilities to get down the basics of Sword combat, coupled with the Expert Challenge that would earn those who passed a legitimate certificate which would later on become mandatory for those aspiring in becoming professional swordsmen. Both Clock Town and the rebuilt Kakariko Village would also observe an increase in tourists, with the market area in Hyrule Castle Town also becoming more popular among tourists from Termina.

The Indigo-go's, the famous Zora band from the Zora Cape in the Great Bay area, had gathered around the grave of their fellow band member, comrade and hero Mikau, paying their respect to him by holding a moment of silence, while also playing the song they had been composing in his honor. The Gorons in Snowhead were occasionally seen visiting the Goron Shrine in the Mountain Village to pay their respects for their hero Darmani the Third, believing that his wandering spirit was still around to safeguard them and ensure that the Goron Village would remain safe. The Deku Butler was on his turn comforting the Deku Princess as they visited the final resting place of the Deku Butler's son, the Princess' love interest, whom was the first victim to be killed/cursed by the rampaging Majora before his arrival in Clock Town and by extension Termina itself. The Deku King himself was also present, saddened at seeing his only daughter crying bitter tears at the loss of her love. Several Gerudo have been working on a graveyard of their own at the backside of the Gerudo horseback archery challenge, burying the bodies of their fallen comrades whom they had been able to retrieve over the course of the past days. The King of Hyrule himself attended the funerals of those soldiers and civilians whom had fallen in the aftermath of Ganondorf and Majora's rampage, while those who were resurrected also attended to honor those whom had made their sacrifices. The Kokiri on their turn also still mourned the loss of the Great Deku Tree, even though there was still hope for them as a new sprout was beginning to grow, in effect making sure that the Kokiri would still have a guardian tree watching over them over the years to come.

Link was once more traveling through the forest area while riding his trusty steed Epona, but this time he was not alone. Sitting behind him was his childhood friend Saria, while five other horses were accompanying them. One of those horses was a Royal Gray which was rode by Impa with Princess Zelda in front of her, the four other horses being the generic horses which were rode by Nabooru and Ruto, Rauru, Reimu and Leia respectively. The one who didn't need a horse was Darunia, as his rolling speed easily matched the speed of a galloping horse by itself. Flying close to Epona were the fairies Navi, Tatl and Tael, whom felt quite comfortable in such a big company. Of course, Tael couldn't resist teasing both his sister Tatl and their friend Navi, which earned him being chased by the two female fairies in kind, earning a good laugh from the others. Seeing the bright sun up ahead, the group noticed they were coming close to a clearing as they continued to explore the forest, in search for a good place to spend their vacation. Seeing it as a potential spot, they let the horses gallop towards it, with Darunia leading in his role to prevent injury to the horses themselves, as if in search for a new and hopefully more peaceful adventure. And as the group moved towards the clearing, the first tunes of Saria's Song resonated throughout the area.

**THE END.**


	61. Author's Notes

**Whew. After a long time I can safely say that his fanfic is completely finished. I've been working on this for weeks and only uploaded it after it was finished. **

With that out of the way, I am here now to answer whatever questions you may have regarding this, or point out potential mistakes that I have made, so I can improve on it, or, by all means, tell me what you liked/loved the most on the story and what were things that you didn't see coming, shocked you, made you laugh/cry etc. All in the matter of constructive criticism.

**Anyway, first off a massive disclaimer: I do NOT own the Legend of Zelda franchise in any form or fashion. The Legend of Zelda franchise and its characters and races etc., save for a few locations mentioned below, are property of Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. This story was written purely as a labor of love for the franchise, so all I own is the story itself as well as the named Gerudo 'OCs' whom helped out the main heroes.**

**Now, in regards to the story itself:**

**\- There have been three Zelda games that I have personally played and have been the primary source of inspiration in regards to the known environments, characters and enemies, being:  
**A. Ocarina of Time  
B. Majora's Mask  
C. A Link To The Past ****

**\- However, there are references to other Zelda games present in regards to specific enemies, events and items. These include references to:  
**A. Twilight Princess  
B. Minish Cap  
C. Spirit Tracks  
D. Wind Waker  
E. A Link Between Worlds  
F. Skyward Sword  
G. Ocarina of Time Master Quest (placement of a few enemies mentioned)  
H. Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask Manga  
**  
I won't be spoiling what those references are in consideration of those who may not have played those games, or in case you wish to find out yourself. Otherwise, PM me and I'll tell you about it if you are curious.**

**Lastly, there are certain environments that have been based on/inspired by levels/events from other games, primarily Rayman games that I have played:**

\- The unknown land between the Woods of Mystery and Ikana Canyon is inspired from The Land of the Livid Dead from Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc  
\- The Stalfos Forest Outpost is based on the Clearleaf Forest from Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc.  
\- The Lava Outpost is based on The Sanctuary of Stone and Fire from Rayman 2: The Great Escape/Rayman Revolution  
\- The Chapters from where the Heroes travel from the unknown Temple all the way towards the final tower of their nemeses are based on the latter half of the Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc game, being The Longest Shortcut, The Summit Beyond The Clouds, Hoodlum Headquarters and finally the Tower of the Leptys.  
\- The Final Battle itself was inspired from both Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc as well as Asura's Wrath. ****

**The reason why did I chose for those is that those levels, in my opinion, could be very fitting for a Zelda-type setting, with some adaptations here and there of course. Besides, I wanted to make the final lair of Ganondorf and Majora more grotesque than Ganon's Castle/Tower from Ocarina of Time and the Stone Tower from Majora's Mask combined.**

**Any further notes will be added here in case specific reasons in regards to the storyline's progression or portrayal of characters have to be made clear. **

**Above all, I sincerely hope you have enjoyed the story as I've been working on this for weeks. **

**All the best,**

**Martian Tempest.**


End file.
